Westerner mare stars in Newbury feature

Run Ructions Run (5m Westerner-Perfect Prospect, by Golan) continued Westerner’s fabulous run when triumphing in the Listed EBF Stallions & TBA Mares' "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle Finale at Newbury on Saturday.

The five-year-old had travelled down from Tim Easterby’s North Yorkshire stable to pull off a long-term plan of winning the prestigious mares’ contest.

She was brought with a well-timed run by jockey Dougie Costello to get up and beat her 12 rivals.

Easterby’s father Peter said: “We've been waiting for that for two months and it's worked out. It came off - it was close, but she's very game. We hadn't run her lately so we could keep her for that. It's not very often plans come off.”

Westerner has enjoyed a fabulous season that included a G1 Arkle Chase victory for Western Warhorse (6g Westerner-An Banog, by Anshan) at the Cheltenham Festival, where Deputy Dan (6g Westerner-Louisas Dream, by Supreme Leader) finished runner-up in the G1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.