Home Nations ready for Perth showdown in wide-open Highland National
A wide-open £30,000 William Hill Highland National features horses trained in Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales on the final day of the William Hill Perth Festival.
Paul Stafford’s Irish raider Dubai Devils should relish the 3m 6f trip as he was successful in the Northumberland National at Hexham last month under Peter Kavanagh.
Hat-trick seeking I See You Well, trained by Seamus Mullins, and Nigel Twiston-davies’ top-weight Poppa Poutine are old rivals, with the pair only separated by half a length when finishing first and second at Fontwell earlier this month.
Former jump jockey Tjade Collier might fancy his chances as he saddles Ladronne, already the winner of two races this term, as he returns from wind surgery.
In the Building Better, Better Futures, Kier Construction Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase, Mark Walford-trained Into Overdrive arrives in great heart after wins at Carlisle and Hexham as Jamie Hamilton rides a horse owned and bred by his Hawick-based parents.
Minella Trump can provide soon-to-be dual champion jockey Brian Hughes with another winner in the Edinburgh Gin Handicap Chase. Donald Mccain's charge won four times at the track last year during a remarkable run of seven straight victories.
His winning sequence came to an end at Ludlow in December, but he was far from disgraced in finishing second to the progressive Scene Not Herd, to whom he was conceding almost a stone in weight. Returning from a well-earned break on a track where he clearly excels, Minella Trump should prove a tough nut to crack.
Meanwhile, on a thrilling second day of the festival,
Coach Carter improved on an already impressive record by winning the £25,000 Phil Nelson River Tay Handicap Chase.
Having finished second at the Scone track 24 hours earlier, the Gordon Elliott-trained raider went one better as he prevailed in a dramatic finish.
Sent off the 9/4 favourite, Coach Carter collared Gaelik Coast close home to score going away by a length and a quarter.
Winning jockey Sean Bowen said: “We were badly hampered by the faller on the first circuit but he’s a clever horse and managed to avoid being brought down.
"That seemed to wake him up a bit and full marks to Gordon and his team for having the faith to run him again so soon.
“He stays well so once he got rolling, I was always confident of getting there. The stable told me he was bucking and kicking this morning, so we knew he had taken his race the first day well.”
Hugh Nugent rode his first winner at the track when 13-year-old Gardefort rolled back the years to land the Creevytennant Conditional Jockeys’ Veterans’ Handicap Chase.
“It was only my third ride here as it’s a long way from home,” he said. “I was in front earlier than ideal, but he’s taken me there travelling so well and was jumping for fun.”