No stopping in-form McCain
Ginger McCain’s runners have hit a rich vein of form since the turn of the year and the Aintree legend kept up the good work with a 25-1 double thanks to wins from Vicario and West Hill at Sedgefield on Monday.
He sent out eight winners in January and after this latest brace he is now on 25 for the season, which is his best numerically.
McCain, who is planning a two-pronged attack on the John Smith’s Grand National with Ebony Light and 2004 winner Amberleigh House, is to hand over the reins of his Cholmondeley string to his son Donald “in the spring”.
Useful hurdler Vicario set up the brace when he made the successful transition to fences in the Gosforth Decorating Building Services Beginners’ Chase.
After greeting the Steven Craine-ridden winner, McCain said: “He’s just too high in the handicap over hurdles and he’s not a big horse who can carry weight. So chasing was the obvious way to go.”
The double was completed when West Hill battled on gamely for Craine to beat That’s Racing by a length and a quarter in the Bet365 Call 08000 322 365 Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
“It’s a bit like good wine – it always come to its best just before it goes off,” joked McCain afterwards.
He added: “Our best was 22 and we’re on 25 now. But it’s grand everybody works hard and the horses are fit.
“My son Donald gets the licence in the spring. The boy has earned it and he’ll get his chance.
“We’ll get Liverpool behind us and then we’ll get the job sorted out.”
Bargain buy Major Catch proved too good for some well-touted rivals in the second division of the Gosforth Decorating And Building Services Novices’ Hurdle.
Mr Mischief was a heavily-backed 7-4 favourite and Zeitgeist, an expensive purchase from the Flat, was fancied to follow up a Catterick success last month.
But they could not cope with Major Catch up the finishing hill and the Adam Pogson-ridden 5-2 shot ran on to beat the market leader by a length and a half, with another six back to Zeitgeist.
Major Catch is trained by the jockey’s father, Charlie, who said: “We bought him for 4,000 guineas at Doncaster in October and he’s improved with every run since. Adam spotted the horse so he deserves all the praise.”
Stagecoach Diamond shrugged off a 207-day absence from the track to take the first division of the Gosforth Decorating And Building Services Novices’ Hurdle.
Explaining the 16-1 winner’s lay-off, the trainer’s husband Harvey Smith said: “We were just letting him have a blow. It takes time to make these horses, so you have to give them time.
“He’s a nice horse and this would be a pretty hot little contest.”
Mrs Smith went on to complete a 288-1 double with Stagecoach Opal in the John Smith’s Extra Smooth Maiden National Hunt Flat Race.
The 16-1 shot was partnered by conditional Michael O’Connell, who was enjoying his first success since joining Mrs Smith’s yard from Ireland six months ago.
Gary Bartley was on the mark for the first time over jumps when he booted Etoile Russe home by a distance in the Racecourse Video Services Handicap Hurdle.
Tim Walford saddled his first winner for 190 days when his son, Robert, got Miss Pross home in front in the Touchline Event Management Handicap Chase.
