Most northerly trainer in first Perth bid
BRITAIN’S most northernly handler Jackie Stephen has her first runners at her local track today since taking out a full licence earlier this month.
Based at Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, she sends Problema Tic, Reland and Amilliontimes on the two-hour journey south to Perth’s seven-race card.
Probloma Tic faces five rivals in the Grosvenor Casinos Handicap Chase (for the Stirling Cup) and Mrs Stephen said: “He was our first ‘official’ runner with a full licence when he was fifth at Hexham the other day. He ran a good race and should go well again as he likes flat tracks like Perth.
“Reland is a slow old thing and we couldn’t sell him as a riding horse, so we’re keeping him going and Amilliontimes is in quite good form and might surprise a few in the last.”
Mrs Stephen, who sent out three winners as a permitholder last term, expects Welcome Ben – carrying the colours of Ben’s Men – to be her first runner for an outside owner tomorrow.
Meanwhile last year’s Prix de L’abbaye hero Move In Time made a winning return to action in the EBF Stallions Soba Conditions Stakes at Hamilton Park yesterday.
David O’meara’s gelding gained a fluent three-and-a-half length success over Addictive Dream after the 2011 L’abbeye winner had made the running.
Winning jockey David Nolan said: “He jumped and travelled and felt pretty good.
“I’ve only ridden him once before when he won a Musselburgh handicap off 85 – he’s rated 28lb higher now so I didn’t have to do anything special on him.
“I spoke to his regular jockey Danny (Tudhope, who is out injured at the moment) at Pontefract yesterday and he told me to get a lead and the race panned out well.
“He liked the bit of dig in the ground and it was a pretty decent first run back.”