Valuable Victory Completes Smart Double For Westerner

Shoot First (8g Westerner – Keeps Sake, by Old Vic) completed a smart Saturday double for Westerner when capturing the valuable Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle at Haydock.

Charles Byrnes’ charge had been favourite for the 2023 Cheltenham Festival after an impressive win in a Pertemps qualifier, but injury forced a significant absence. An encouraging fifth on return last month, he was partnered by Alex Harvey at Haydock and raced towards the back of the field for much of the way. Improving into a prominent position from four out, he led after the next and was ridden out to beat the favourite by two lengths and three quarters.

“It was a great training performance by Charles [Byrnes] as Shoot First came on from the last day following a two-year break,” Alex Harvey said after the race. “He's still a big raw baby and he pricked his ears when we hit the front, so stepping up in grade he's going to be even better. That was his first time on soft ground and he relished it. He's an exciting horse.”

The progressive hurdler is owned by the Dubai Cowboys Syndicate and was bred by Mrs D Cashman.

Earlier at Ascot, Western Knight (5g Westerner – Milford Maggie, by Milan) made it two from two over hurdles with a game performance in the Class 2 novices’ hurdle over two miles and five furlongs.

The Joe Tizzard-trained bay raced towards the back of a tightly-bunched field and began to make headway from three out under Brendan Powell. Challenging at the second last, he led at the next, before being ridden to deny black-type rival Excello by a head. The pair rallied eight and a half lengths clear of the favourite in third.

Speaking after the race, the winning trainer said: “He jumped much slicker than he did at Uttoxeter with experience under his belt and he's clearly got an engine. He's two from two over hurdles now and you'd have to have a look at something like the Challow over Christmas.”

Owned by the Wychwood Partnership, the Noel O’Connor-bred gelding sold for €75,000 as a store to his trainer and Peter and Ross Doyle.