See You There so strong for Buchanan
Lucinda Russell’s See You There ploughed through the mud to defy top weight in the Racing UK For £15 Per Month Novices’ Chase at Carlisle.
Peter Buchanan had no worries about his mount’s stamina and sent him on after jumping the fourth-last fence.
See You There (10-3) stayed on well in the closing stages and had 10 lengths to spare over odds-on favourite Numero Un De Solzen at the line.
Russell said: “Peter very rarely gets emotional but he came back in and said ’this is a proper horse’.
“It was a case of either running him here or at Uttoxeter on Saturday but the ground was drying up there and he does love this mud.
“He is improving all the time and it is nice to see him win twice in a row.
“I think he will be event better next season and perhaps the Midlands Grand National could be a race for him.”
Wilf Storey has Minster Abbi in good form and the gallant mare made it two wins from her last three starts under amateur Jenny Riding in the News And Star Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
Having taken up the running at the halfway point, Storey’s 11-1 chance kept up the gallop right to the line to score by 11 lengths from Toulouse Express.
Storey said: “Minster Abbi was given a lousy ride last time because she just gallops and does not quicken.
“But Jenny was back and the mare was well ridden.
“She does as she is told and if they do that and get beat, then it is my fault.”
Euro American relished the testing conditions to win the Viacom Outdoor Beginners’ Chase in the hands of Tony Dobbin, who deputised for the injured Alan Dempsey.
Bougoure made the running but Edwin Tuer’s charge, sent off at odds of 7-2, collared him between the last two fences.
But having gone two lengths clear, Euro American only just held the renewed effort of Bougoure by half a length, with Akilak a neck away in third.
The ground was officially heavy and two fences were omitted on each circuit after the track survived a 9.30am inspection due to snow on the course.
Tuer said: “Euro American’s form has come on this sort of ground and he has done it well.”
Dempsey suffered serious injuries at Newcastle on Saturday and Tuer added: “It is a tragedy for Alan. This horse has not been easy to get going jumping but Alan has done a lot of work on him.
“Since the horse came to me Alan had ridden him to his wins and I just hope that he will be back soon.”
Stephen Craine was another jockey in the wars at Newcastle – sustaining a suspected broken wrist – and was replaced by Graham Lee aboard Posh Stick, who won the Bet Now With WBX.Com Handicap Chase by an eased-down three and a half lengths.
Winning handler Jimmy Walton said: “She likes this ground and this course, and the trip (two and a half miles) suited her better.
“She did not stay the two and three-quarter miles last time at Kelso.”
Alistair Whillans and his son Ewan teamed up with Carapuce to win the Dobies Chevrolet Handicap Hurdle after which the former said: “This is his fourth run for us, he loves this ground so hopefully it will stay soft for a while.
“If it dries up we will give him a break.”
Craine missed another winner when Donald McCain’s Harry Wood (15-8f) supplemented his course-and-distance success in February by landing the SEP Events Intermediate Open National Hunt Flat Race.
