Scott so proud of Dashel

DASHEL Drasher produced a gutsy display to hold off the fast-finishing Paisley Park in a thrilling conclusion to the Coral Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury yesterday afternoon.

Jeremy Scott’s Stayers’ Hurdle runner-up was sent off at 2-1 in the hands of Rex Dingle and showed huge improvement on his Wetherby reappearance, when only third in the West Yorkshire Hurdle.

It was Patrick Neville’s Mahons

Glory who wasted no time building up a hefty lead in the early stages, as the other five runners were wellgrouped, content to bide their time.

With the business end of the Grade Two event approaching, 20-1 shot Flight Deck led the field into the straight, but Dashel Drasher was snapping at his heels and had taken over by the time the final flight approached. The ten-year-old jumped the last with a narrow advantage, with Dingle soon searching for the line, as Tom Bellamy in his mirrors conjured up the customary end-ofrace flourish from Paisley Park.

However, despite the petrol tank flashing red and Dashel Drasher’s lead narrowing with every stride, he was never headed by Paisley Park and showed plenty of heart to pull out extra and score by a head.

“I was worried to death when I saw

Paisley Park there, because wasn’t he coming,” Scott told ITV Racing.

“It’s lovely to see the old boys going head-to-head and I thought Paisley Park ran a brilliant race there. A bit further and he might have done us. It was a great race to watch.

“You start to wonder whether Dashel Drasher had lost his spark. He was beaten so many times last year, but only into second, and you just think it must take its toll. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images > Dashel Drasher, yellow cap, won the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury under Rex Dingle