Silsol’s a tough cookie

16-1 shot trumps Cue Card

JASON HEAVEY SILSOL (above) gave Jack Sherwood his first Grade Two success in a dramatic West Yorkshire Hurdle. Paul Nicholls’ seven-year-old toughed it out in a race that changed complexion several times in the home straight. Favourite Ballyoptic suffered a nasty fall at the last when still in contention. The Wetherby crowd feared the worst when the screens went up around Nigel Twiston-Davies’ potential star but happily the horse got up and appeared unscathed. Silsol stuck his neck out to beat Native River by two-and-three-quarter lengths. Sherwood said: “He’s won a Welsh Champion Hurdle with me too and is my favourite horse. I’ve been with Paul three years and he was the first horse I ever rode there. “I’ve had a Cheltenham winner with Ibis Du Rheu but this is my first Grade Two. “Everyone thinks he needs heavy ground but he’s gone on good ground before, he’s just versatile.” Dan Skelton’s Stephanie Frances survived a blunder at the last to win the OLBG.com Mares’ Hurdle. The eight-year-old picked up some valuable black type for connections under a confident ride from Bridget Andrews. Held up throughout, she made her move up the inside in the home straight but there were three in line at the second-last with Midnight Jazz and Miss Crick involved. Stephanie Frances (100-30) was a couple of lengths in front approaching the last but met it all wrong. However, her pursuers made no inroads and she held on by half a length. Andrews said: “She needs to be held up like that. She’s a different horse now, she used to be keen but she quickened nicely two out.”