Racing cheers Midlands sports fans
Truckers Lodge was a decisive winner of the Marston’s 61 Deep Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter – one of the biggest events on the Midlands’ horseracing calendar.
Paul Nicholls’ eight-year-old, who had finished second in the Welsh Grand National on his previous start, went one better this time in a typically gruelling edition of the four-and-a-quarter-mile stamina test.
Lorcan Williams had him up with the pace from an early stage, and they moved clear after the third last to win by 18 lengths at 6-1 – from Captain Drake and Joe Farrell.
The runner-up made a mistake at the last, as his efforts began to tell on the heavy ground, but Truckers Lodge appeared to have the prize in safe keeping by then anyway. He was breaking new ground for 11-time champion trainer Nicholls, in a race which had previously eluded him.
Truckers Lodge’s victory also paid a compliment to last year’s winner of this race, Potters Corner – who beat him at Chepstow at the end of December and is on course for next month’s Aintree Grand National.
Also at the meeting at the Staffordshire track, Main Fact took his fifth consecutive race of the season when running out a convincing winner of the £50,000 Burton Union Handicap Hurdle at Uttoxeter.
The seven-year-old joined David Pipe in 2018 and has been beaten only once since, finishing third on his debut for the stable in December.
Since then he has claimed a string of two-mile handicap hurdle races, lifting his rating from 98 to 132 in the progress.
A step up in trip to two-and-a-half miles failed to bring the winning streak to an end as the gelding triumphed by 15 lengths at 5-1 under a classy ride from 7lb claimer Fergus Gillard.
“What more can he do? I’m really not sure,” Gillard said of the horse’s progression.
“He’s come on leaps and bounds when you consider where he’s come from and how he’s done it in a nice race like that.”
“This is definitely the best day of my career so far. Having a ride in the Welsh Grand National was brilliant, but this is even better.”
Solstice Star claimed a ninth career success under Lilly Pinchin when taking the Marston’s Brewery Lady Riders’ Handicap Hurdle, run over two miles and seven-and-a-half furlongs.
The Martin Keighley-trained 10-year-old ran prominently throughout and eased into a comfortable lead over the final flight before pulling clear to register a 17-length success at odds of 10-1.
“He deserves a good win, the old boy,” Pinchin said.
“He just kept galloping, kept jumping. He stays very well, he’s won on heavy ground so he knows the score, more so than me!”
Sam’s Adventure made a winning return over fences when taking the three-mile 1834 Novices’ Handicap Chase for Brian Ellison and Henry Brooke.
