Smith follows Cheltenham shock with Midland Grand National winner

Published on Saturday 15 March 2008 18:46

AFTER a week of shocks at Cheltenham, the biggest of which was trainer Sue Smith sending out Mister McGoldrick to win her first Cheltenham race at the odds of 66-1, it was the turn of Uttoxeter to see another surprise by the same stable yesterday.

Himalayan Trail turned a seemingly-competitive John Smith's Midlands Grand National into a complete procession, winning another big race for Smith at the long odds of 16-1. The horse did not race like an outsider, however. The nine-year-old was always travelling strongly in the hands of 5lb claimer Tjade Collier and came away for a very impressive victory.

The partnership jumped into a clear lead at the fourth-last fence and left their toiling rivals for dead.

Himalayan Trail pinged the final fence, eventually putting 22 lengths between himself and runner-up Badgerlaw (15-2).

The Dark Lord (12-1) stayed on well from a long way back to claim third, a further four-and-a-half lengths away, while Model Son, who travelled kindly for a long way, took fourth at 16-1.

Down at Lingfield, Hattan made the perfect start to his 2008 campaign when springing a minor surprise under Seb Sanders in the betdirect.com Winter Derby.

Sent off at 14-1, Clive Brittain's charge sat just behind the early pacesetters before bursting through to take over at around the one-furlong marker.

Hattan stole a crucial break on his pursuers at that point and saw out the ten furlongs well to secure a two-length win over 7-2 favourite Silver Pivotal.

The runner-up, who broke widest of all from stall 14, was forced to tuck in behind the field and looked to have a mountain to climb as the principals swung for home.

Once in the clear, Gerard Butler's filly absolutely flew home to grab second, with 22-1 chance Great Hawk claiming a close-up third.

Today's meeting at Newton Abbot has been abandoned due to waterlogging. Officials at the track held an inspection at 3pm yesterday, after being hit with further rain throughout the day. They were left with no option but to concede defeat.

Clerk of the course Jason Loosemore said: "We've now held our inspection and I'm afraid it's bad news, we've had to draw stumps.

"We've had 19 millimetres of rain since this morning and it's still raining here now.

"We're heavy and waterlogged in places and we're forecast for more."