SUE SMITH'S Bingley-based stable starred at Sedgefield yesterday when completing a 7-1 double in the first two races on the card with Miss Holly and Rival Bidder.
Miss Holly started the ball rolling in convincing manner with an authoritative three-length victory in the opening Mares' Only Novices Hurdle. Ridden by Gino Carenza, at six foot two inches the tallest jockey in the weighing room, Miss Holly cruised into the lead leaving the back straight and never looked being headed thereafter.
Even though Rival Bidder's margin of success was identical, he had to fight far harder for his win in the John Smith's Extra Smooth Beginners Chase.
With only four fences remaining to jump in the two-mile-and-five furlong contest, Rival Bidder appeared to be going nowhere fast. But in never-say-die fashion, jockey Dominic Elsworth kept pushing at his mount, who came with a storming late charge collar long-time leader, Mantilla, half-way up the run-in.
Sue was not on hand to greet her brace of winners leaving husband Harvey to do the honours in the winners' enclosure. "We'll keep Rival Bidder going all year, he doesn't especially like this ground (good to firm) and the season has hardly got going yet," he declared.
Micky Hammond's French import, Karo de Vindecy, made relatively short work of the opposition in the Gosforth Decorating Services Handicap Chase.
The six-year-old put in a flying leap two fences from the finish and sealed the event with an even better jump at the last. "He's been running well without winning so deserved this. He did a good piece of work on Middleham High Moor last week and there are plenty more races to be won with him," said Hammond.
The bookies definitely had the best of the argument when 16-1 outsider Magic Box took the John Wade Skip Hire Selling Handicap Hurdle for Kate Milligan.
"I claimed him at York two years ago and that's the second time he's won for me here," revealed Milligan, who let Magic Box go to Andrew Crow for 3,600 guineas at the subsequent auction.
The conditional rider, Douglas Costello, successful aboard Magic Box, doubled up when 25-1 Irish raider, Super Lucky, just got the better of a protracted dual with Batoutoftheblue to win the Racecourse Video Handicap Hurdle.
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