Pears gets first winner as trainer at Wetherby
Ollie Pears was in jubilant mood after Own Line provided the former jockey with his first winner as a trainer at Wetherby.
The eight-year-old showed plenty of guts and determination when making just about all the running to land the Buy Online For Boxing Day - wetherbyracing.co.uk Handicap Chase.
Fittingly, the winner is owned by Noel Hetherton, for whom Pears rode 100-1 chance Valeureux to success at Nottingham a few years back.
And the rookie trainer was all smiles as he welcomed the not-unsupported 11-2 chance back into the winner’s enclosure.
He said: “I’ve had a couple of seconds in the last few days and I had hoped I’d get off the mark at Lingfield the other day.
“But it’s even nicer to do it at a Yorkshire track and Keith Mercer has given him a peach of a ride.
“Everyone has been very helpful and it was great to spend some time with Michael Dickinson this summer.
“I’m thrilled. This does mean a lot as it’s what the game is all about.”
Peter Buchanan had earlier produced a cool ride to get Ormello home in front in the feature Neville Crump Memorial Handicap Chase.
Dalriath opened up a 25-length lead soon after the tapes went up and that one still held a considerable advantage as she swung for home with four fences to take.
But Buchanan had judged things correctly and produced the 5-2 chance to take over after the last, before pushing his mount out to repel the staying-on Bestofthebrownies by two lengths.
Representing winning trainer Lucinda Russell, Jamie Duff said: “We were a little bit nervous as they came around that top bend, but we were always fairly confident today.
“I’m not sure what went wrong last time, but the Perth form from the time before (when third to The Wicketkeeper) seems to have stood up fairly well.”
Football Crazy (14-1) had earlier maintained Peter Bowen’s good run by winning the Doug Lythe 70th Birthday Conditional Jockeys’ Claiming Hurdle in the hands of Fearghal Davis.
The stewards found the jockey guilty of careless riding and banned him for one day (December 9), but that is unlikely to have dampened his spirits too much.
After fending off Totally Scottish by a neck, Davis said: “He picked up well again for me when the other one came at us after the last.”
Surricate came home alone to land odds of 5-6 in the Bramham Hall For Conferences & Banqueting Beginners’ Chase, while Hello Nod (22-1) won plenty of friends in taking the goracing.co.uk Juvenile Maiden Hurdle on his National Hunt debut.
Lease Lend was undoubtedly one of the more promising horses turning out on a grey afternoon at the North Yorkshire track, and Tim Easterby’s charge got the job done in the Rocom Panasonic “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle.
Of the 15-8 winner, the trainer’s father Peter said: “He jumped better today and hopefully we can get a clear run at things with him now.”
Another to create a favourable impression was the Nicky Richards-trained Cornerback, who took the Doncaster Bloodstock Sales/EBF Mares Only Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race at 4-1.
The Greystoke handler said: “She’s a fine mare, but she does love soft ground and I was a bit worried about it here.
“She’s from a fine family (related to Harbour Pilot) and I’d imagine we’ll go hurdling with her soon.”
