Westerner head shot

Bright Future Ahead Of Westerner’s Latest Winner

The well-regarded Feel Good Inc (5g Westerner - Brackforde, by Old Vic) built on a promising rules debut to take Tuesday’s maiden hurdle at Doncaster.

The son of Westerner had every chance when falling at the last in a four-year-old maiden on his sole point-to-point start for Paul Power, which saw him bring £110,000 from Tom Malone at Tattersalls Cheltenham. He finished third in a bumper on his first start for Neil Mulholland and the winner Bowenspark (Walk In The Park) since extended his unbeaten record, while the fourth horse Lilting Verse (Yeats) won a Listed bumper last month.

Racing over two miles and five furlongs on his hurdle bow, the bay was given a patient ride by Richie McLernon and was asked to quicken from three out. Switched left to challenge approaching the next, he kept on strongly on the run-in and led close home, beating the short-priced favourite by a length and a quarter on the line.

“We've always liked Feel Good Inc, we were hopeful he'd run well,” Mulholland later revealed. “It was a good performance, he beat a 126 horse that had hurdling experience. He's a baby, but he's a nice horse.”

Owned by Mrs Lynne Maclennan, Feel Good Inc becomes the first winner bred by James Purcell out of Brackforde, who has a two-year-old full-sister to the promising hurdler.