KALASHNIKOV HITS WINNING TARGET

KALASHNIKOV shot clear to win easily at Wetherby and looks a potential star of the future.

The four-year-old, a full brother to Kalane, gave Newmarket trainer Amy Murphy and jockey Jack Quinlan a significant success in the bet365 Novices’ Hurdle.

Murphy said: “He is a big baby. But he loves his jumping. In time he will stay further but we thought we would start him off at two miles.

“We had his full sister Kalane and when we knew she was good we went on the hunt for siblings and purchased him as a foal. He is a chaser in the making. Jack Quinlan is very underrated. He helps me a lot and is a brilliant jockey.”

Trainer Dan Skelton breathed a sigh of relief after Born Survivor produced a foot perfect round of jumping on his chasing debut.

The strapping six-year-old has always been talked up as a horse with a future but under-achieved over hurdles.

But fencing looks to be his game after his smooth success in the Jayne Forth Novices’ Chase. Skelton said: “That was very good. He has the same owner as North Hill Harvey and we gave them both an extra season over hurdles last season to develop and that has paid dividends. It was a good start.”

He also revealed the talented Aux Ptits Soins will miss the season with a hind suspensory injury. JASON HEAVEY