Zach strikes Leicester gold
Zacharova got off the mark for the campaign with a comfortable victory in the 3M Health Care Handicap Chase at Leicester under Sam Thomas.
The five-year-old struck over the larger obstacles at Market Rasen back in February but has endured a frustrating run of near misses since, including when looking the likely winner before tipping up at Folkestone last time.
However, sent off the 7-4 favourite to oblige on this occasion, he was always travelling strongly and drew away from his rivals in the straight to score by four and a half lengths.
“He was unlucky last time because apart from the mistake he made when he came down, he jumped immaculately,” winning trainer Venetia Williams told At The Races.
“He is due to go up another 6lb anyway for that run so we were forced to get him out again and this is an even more valuable race.
“He’s not a big horse but by and large he does jump well and he’s done it well today.”
Emma Lavelle was full of praise for jockey Jack Doyle after he guided Phar Again to an impressive victory in the 3M Ambassadors Challenge Novices’ Handicap Chase.
The 13-2 chance was held up in the early stages but Doyle let him pull his way to the front a long way from the finish and he kept going all the way up the straight to score by eight lengths.
“He has been so keen in his other races that I told Jack to drop him out and get him settled but he wouldn’t pick up the bridle,” Lavelle told At The Races.
“Jack gave him a crack, got him up there amongst horses and he has then winged his fences and done it well.
“It was a super ride and he has just taken the initiative and ignored what the trainer said!”
Although the track passed a 10.45am inspection, the meeting was again thrown into doubt after the first race.
Clerk of the course Jimmy Stevenson, along with leading jockeys Tony McCoy and Dominic Elsworth, walked the track due to fears there were still frozen patches but after dolling off part of the bottom bend, they felt the rest of the track was fit for action.
Midnight Chase secured his second victory of the month with an authoritative display in the 3M Innovation Challenge Handicap Hurdle under Robert Thornton.
“He’s done it well under a penalty and thank god racing went ahead as it was nip and go for a while,” Mulholland told At The Races.
“The ground was looser last time which probably suited him better than today as it might have been a bit tacky for him and he couldn’t pick up as quickly.”
Tony McCoy and Nicky Henderson can do little wrong at the moment and the formidable pair combined to good effect again when Au Courant returned from over 1,000 days on the sidelines to take the 3M Health Care Beginners’ Chase.
Donald McCain has his string firing on all cylinders at present and it was his filly Double Hit (14-1) who came home in front in the closing Pertemps People Development Training Series Conditional Jockeys’ Mares Novices’ Hurdle.
