Silver By Nature out for season

Lucinda Russell’s high-class chaser Silver By Nature – bred and owned by St Johnstone chairman Geoff Brown – has been ruled out of the current campaign with a leg injury.

The nine-year-old, trained by Russell at Arlary House near Kinross, won the Grand National Trial at Haydock in February for the second successive year and was sent off as one of the favourites for the big race itself. He could only finish 12th on ground that was too quick for him but hopes were high he could make his mark in some of the top staying chases this term.

However, former champion jockey Peter Scudamore, Russell’s partner, tweeted: “Silver By Nature has suffered an injury and will not run this season.”

A statement on Russell’s website confirmed: “Unfortunately Silver By Nature will miss this season having suffered a setback. It is a great disappointment for his owner Geoff Brown and everyone at the yard but he should be back for next season.”

Meanwhile, Medermit capitalised on the final-fence exit of Captain Chris to capture a dramatic renewal of the Betfred Haldon Gold Cup Chase at Exeter yesterday.

The Alan King-trained grey responded to a positive ride by Robert Thornton to put his rivals to the sword in the straight. Philip Hobbs’ Captain Chris rallied to challenge Medermit and Cornas at the last, but he blundered badly and unseated Richard Johnson. That left Medermit (7-2) to score by a length and a quarter with Oiseau De Nuit back in third and Ghizao only fourth.

“Mine have tended to want a run a little bit, but we’ve got plenty of work into this lad in the last week to ten days,” said King.

“It looked a logical starting point. But I’ve no idea where I’m going to go with him now. I’m sure he wants further. He’s in the Paddy Power [Gold Cup], but I think that’s going to come too quick.

“I only popped him in here because we were worried that if the rain hadn’t arrived we couldn’t have run today. The Peterborough Chase would be a logical step but whether there would be something in between I don’t know.”

Thornton agreed about stepping him back up in trip, adding: “I think two and a half miles will be right for him and something like the Ryanair.

“I took a bit of chance pressing on when I did turning in. We were fairly sure Medermit was straight enough. He’s won over further and I took a view that Ruby [Walsh on Ghizao] was beat and I didn’t think Richard Johnson was going well on Captain Chris.”

Captain Chris’ connections were also out of luck when the odds-on Menorah unseated Johnson at the second last when seemingly having the Betfred Goals Galore Novices’ Chase at his mercy on his fencing debut. That left Paul Nicholls’ Sam Winner in front but he landed too steep over the last and also came down. Outsider of the three, Shammick Boy (16-1), negotiated the final obstacle safely to score.