Fleming stars at Huntingdon

Alan Fleming instigated a rapid change in fortunes for the Surrey yard he recently took over from Albert Ennis with a winner from his first runner at Huntingdon.

After two and half years on the Curragh, Fleming moved to Henfold House Stables near Dorking in August to train the string of owner Andrew Wates, best known for his 1996 Grand National winner Rough Quest.

Starluck carried the Wates Silks in division one of the Huntingdon-racecourse.co.uk Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle and there was market confidence behind the ex-Kevin Prendergast gelding, who was a 7-4 shot under Timmy Murphy.

He got up close home from Alan King’s 11-10 favourite Tuanku TO provide a first victory for Henfold House since March 2007. Stan James even quote Starluck at 33-1 for the Triumph Hurdle.

“It has been very easy to settle in at the stable, Albert left everything in great order and the facilities we have are terrific,” said Fleming.

“The horse does everything at home very easily and Timmy was impressed – he said he’d improve again and we are thinking of running at the Paddy Power meeting at Cheltenham now.

“It’s a fantastic start. I am just learning with the horses but we have a couple of nice ones at Plumpton next week.”

Howard Johnson’s Terrasini (4-1) then obliged on his own hurdling debut in division two as Denis O’Regan pushed him two and a quarter lengths clear of Karky Schultz.

Owner Graham Wylie said: “He did it very well. He’s a nice little horse, we knew he’d stay the trip, he jumped well and I think that is what won him the race – he jumped like a cat today.

“He didn’t have a great Flat campaign, he was unlucky in one race at Beverley but he is by Linnamix so he should progress from here,” he told Racing UK.

There was compensation for King in the Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Novices’ Hurdle as 4-7 favourite Levera bounced back from a defeat to Woolcombe Folly at Kempton last time.