Samizdat success at Catterick
Samizdat picked just the right moment to take advantage of the handicapper's leniency as he struck at Catterick today.
Owner Freda Rayson had become disillusioned with the eight-year-old after a succession of fairly woeful performances and was prepared to give him away as a present.
But Samizdat's trainer, Penrith-based Dianne Sayer, tends to see her best results with the arrival of spring and her runner was rated some 35lb lower for the xtremeadventuresuk.com Handicap Hurdle than he was when second at Sedgefield little more than a year ago.
The 11-1 shot was ridden prominently by Sayer's daughter, Emma, and despite drifting to the stands rail, finished a length and three-quarters clear of the 9-2 favourite Knight Valliant.
"Freda Rayson said if he ran as badly again she would give him to Emma, as she rides him out every day and loves him," explained Dianne Sayer.
"So it was the last-chance saloon today. The handicapper had given him a chance but this is our time of year.
"We turn the horses out into a field and they have some grass to eat."
Graeme McPherson has managed to work the oracle with Wake Board, who ran his rivals into the ground in the bodugi.com Launches Social Betting Selling Hurdle.
The 6-4 favourite had left Tim Vaughan but had not raced for 558 days.
"That's my first winner under Rules," said jockey Killian Moore, 19, who is from Co Meath.
"I came over here just before Christmas as Tom Malone (bloodstock agent) told me there might be a job.
"The horse was always travelling easily. He was the best horse in the race by far."
Wake Board joined Dr Richard Newland for 6,000 guineas.
Robertewenutter and Henry Oliver pocketed a truly ordinary contest for the catterickbridge.co.uk Maiden Chase.
Sue Smith's seven-year-old had been beaten vast distances in all of his previous seven starts in bumpers, hurdle races, and over fences at Sedgefield last month, but this was still enough to see him sent off the 5-2 second-favourite.
"We've tried every trick with him," admitted Smith.
"He's out of a sprinting mare, one of Jack Berry's. We're very pleased he has won and Henry said the good ground made a difference."
Both of Keith Reveley's runners at Newcastle on Tuesday ended up winning, and Bardolet kept the wheels turning for his Saltburn stable in the Flat Racing Starts On 30th March Novices' Handicap Chase.
Strong in the betting as the 5-2 favourite, Bardolet was restrained by Reveley's jockey-son James and gradually crept his way through the field, eventually finishing comfortably ahead of Feeling Peckish.
"He needs a strong pace, as he has been getting beaten over hurdles when they've only been going steady," said Reveley.
"They went a nice pace today, and when they do that is makes it more of a stamina test."
Richard Kinsey, who trains at Ashton, near Chester, had to go back a long way for his last winner under Rules before Kykate (11-2) had scooted up in the Book Raceday Hospitality On 01748 811478 Mares' Novices' Hurdle.
"I think I've had one other, and they tell me it was at Aintree back in 1999," said Kinsey.
"This is the only horse I train under my permit, all the others are point-to-pointers.
"She's progressing very well despite still being very weak. We'll look for another mares' race under a penalty."
Call Me Mulligan (17-2) carried away the John Wade Skip Hire Novices' Hunters' Chase by nine lengths, while Bahira (9-2 joint-favourite) claimed the concluding bumper.
