Soldier Of Fortune 3yo wins by 25 lengths on British debut

The Nick Williams-trained Mercenaire (3g Soldier Of Fortune-Southwold, by Take Risks) proved himself as good as any juvenile hurdler seen out this season with a stunning victory at Exeter on Sunday. The French-bred son of Soldier Of Fortune was having his first start in Britain and made nearly all under Lizzie Kelly to win the three-year-old hurdle by a staggering 25 lengths. “MERCENAIRE blew this lot away and rates a promising juvenile,” commented the Racing Post. “…he's got a fair pedigree and the betting strongly suggested he was ready to shine. That proved the case as he totally outclassed his rivals under an aggressive ride. “The stable tends to target this race and he's got plenty of scope. He wouldn't look out of place in the G1 Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow next month.”