“Tough as nails” Emily Gray wins more black-type for Flemensfirth

A long journey from Kim Bailey’s Gloucestershire stable to Carlisle reaped rewards when Emily Gray (7m Flemensfirth-Rose Island, by Jupiter Island) took the Listed Apollobet Mares’ Chase.

The Flemensfirth mare showed real grit as she fought off odds-on favourite Gitane Du Berlais, sent over from Ireland by Willie Mullins, to win the 2m 4f contest by a length and three-quarters.

“We knew Gitane Du Berlais would jump off in front and we knew that we had to go with her, and that we had to fight, fight, fight - it was the only way we were going to beat her. Emily Gray jumped brilliantly and she´s as tough as nails,” Bailey told the Racing Post.