Wetherby brace for on-song McCain

With the Cheltenham Festival now just around the corner, Donald McCain gave further evidence his string are in peak form by saddling a double at Wetherby.

Recent Ayr winner Railway Dillon got the show on the road when bolting up in the wetherbyracing.co.uk Novices’ Chase. Jason Maguire’s mount (5-1) galloped his rivals into submission and came home 16 lengths clear of Pena Dorada.

“He was one that I was really worried about when the new whip rules came in as he is notoriously lazy, but the blinkers have been the making of him,” said McCain.

“We always knew he would need them at some stage, but we’ve had to use them earlier than we imagined and to be honest, the man on top makes a big difference to him. Today has been the plan for a couple of weeks because he’s got three owners and this is the first time they’ve all been on track together.”

The Bramham Hall For Conferences & Banquets Novices’ Hurdle looked a warm heat on paper, with last season’s Champion Bumper runner-up Destroyer Deployed facing well-fancied Alan King raider Volcan Surprise.

But neither could live with the front-running Jackson Cage (11-2), who beat 100-1 shot Valsesia by six lengths, with Destroyer Deployed beating Volcan Surprise to third.

“He’s no star, but it was a fair performance giving away a penalty. He was giving a stone to the favourite and plenty to a horse who was second in a Champion Bumper, although to be fair, that one hasn’t jumped well,” McCain added. “He’ll get further and he’ll jump a fence and the better ground has made all the difference.”

Mac Aeda recorded his second victory at the track in the Yorkshire Post Ladies Day – 24th May Handicap Chase. Malcolm Jefferson’s 9-1 chance cruised to the front under Brian Hughes after rounding the home bend, and though he began to wander after jumping the final obstacle, he still won by three and a quarter lengths.

Jefferson said: “He’s a grand horse and he lost a shoe, so it’s an even better performance than it looks. He stays well and he’ll go on most ground. That’s two he’s won this year and if we can win another with him, I’d be over the moon. He’s a horse for next year and he’ll get four miles if we want him, too.”

Lucy Alexander got 8-1 shot Stanley Bridge up in the Wetherby Racecourse Sunday Car-Boot-Sale Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, while the Martin Keighley-trained Total Submission (12-1) defied a big weight in the Follow Wetherby Racecourse On Facebook & Twitter Handicap Hurdle.