One more for Turpin before gold bid
Turpin Green will be prepared for another crack at the Cheltenham Gold Cup after taking the Edward Hanmer Memorial Graduation Chase at Haydock.
The form book will show the eight-year-old, third in last year’s Festival showpiece, was well on top when Dictum refused at the last yet anyone who latched on to the even-money available will have endured a testing time.
For a reluctant Turpin Green was virtually tailed off at one point before consenting to race as the stables loomed large at the end of the home straight.
Trainer Nicky Richards said: “He’s a funny old horse.
“He’ll just have the one run before the Gold Cup as he has to be fresh.
“We’ve got to have a go really as handicaps are out and he might go for the Pillar (Letheby And Christopher Cotswold Chase, January 26).
“I would have liked to have run him over hurdles but his owner (Trevor Hemmings) loves to have runners over fences.”
Labelthou had taken a narrow advantage over Dictum when falling three out and she was down for a long time before getting up to cheers from the crowd.
Trainer Emma Lavelle, whose Folie Dancer (2-1) had earlier won the EBF Bank Of Scotland Corporate “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle, said: “She hadn’t jumped any of the ditches well so Timmy (Murphy) said he just asked her for a big one but she put down.
“She’s fine though, which is the main thing.”
Huka Lodge registered a game win when landing odds of 7-1 in beating The Gangerman by a short head in a gruelling fight for The Last Fling Chase.
“He loves this place,” said trainer Kate Walton.
“That’s his third win so it proves that horses for courses still works. He loves it when it is barely raceable. He might run at Carlisle next.”
Malko De Beaumont (8-1) gave Nicky Henderson’s former assistant Charlie Longsdon his 10th winner of 2007 – the target he set himself at the start of the year.
Formerly with Kim Bailey, the seven-year-old appreciated the return to hurdles and first-time blinkers to win the Sports 360 Supports St Mary’s Langho Handicap Hurdle.
Just For Men took Martin Todhunter off the ’cold list’ when easily winning the R Draper Ltd Novices’ Handicap Chase at 13-2.
Brian Harding took a wide course throughout on the seven-year-old and it paid dividends as his rivals were toiling a long way out.
“It’s nice to get off that list, it might say 39 days but it felt like 78!” said Todhunter.
“Brian walked the course before racing and said the ground was much better on the outside, so he deserves a lot of the credit.”
Hemmings was left with a broad smile after Coe secured a double in the finale.
Previously successful at Wetherby, the Sue Smith-trained 6-5 favourite stuck on well to land the Red Square Vodka “Fixed Brush” Novices Hurdle by two and a half lengths from Innominate.
