Westerner Newbury winner is best Greatrex has trained

Lambourn handler Warren Greatrex has enjoyed an excellent season and believes his stable star is Cole Harden (5g Westerner-Nosie Betty, by Alphabatim), an easy novice hurdle winner at Newbury on Wednesday. The dual bumper winner, bred by Mrs J O’Callaghan, has landed four of his five career starts and looks another star for Westerner as he saw off some high-class opposition to land the 2m 3f novice hurdle by eight lengths. “I’m slightly shocked! I don’t think I’ve had anything as good and I’m not sure where we go from here,” said Greatrex. “I think he warrants some Cheltenham Festival entries although I’d want the ground to be soft if he goes there. He won his second bumper on good to firm but I think he prefers this going. “He wasn’t doing a lot in front, he was waiting for them so he was always conserving energy. They were never getting to him and from two out it was just a matter of getting over the last. He stays great and will get three miles in time and he’s only just turned five. “I thought he’d be competitive and it’s just great to have a horse of his potential. I don’t think he knows how good he is. He is one of those horses that goes out and gives you 100 per cent every day in his work. He’s the perfect racehorse. He’s a strong horse with a great constitution. He very rarely has a problem.”