Balder dash earns Kingmaker Succes for trainer King

With his stable under a cloud, trainer Alan King was forced to shut up shop at the end of last year. However, he has been back among the winners over the last two weeks and Balder Succes put up another good performance here under Wayne Hutchinson to see off Brick Red and earn a quote of 20-1 for the Racing Post Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham next month.

The card got underway at 1.35pm with the starsportsbet.co.uk Handicap Hurdle over two miles, in which ten of the original 28 entries stood their ground.

Bottom weight King Zeal looked to have stolen a march on his rivals when sent clear by Liam Heard three flights out, but course winner Keel Haul tracked him into the straight and jumped to the front at the last flight to go away on the run-in for a comfortable win.

Next up was the OLBG.com Mares’ Hurdle (Listed Race) over two miles and five furlongs, which had attracted a small, but quality field.

Glens Melody was a first runner and winner at the course for Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins last month when just holding off the challenge of Mischievous Milly, with Hidden Identity a close third.

They set the standard again this time and, despite making a mistake at the second-last, Glens Melody got up to beat Mischievous Milly by half a length to confirm her superiority and record her tenth success.

Course winner Persian Snow was well backed to take the two-and-a-half mile chase and, when he joined the front-running Mr Moonshine at the third-last fence, it looked as if he would score again.

But Mr Moonshine, who carries the colours of last year’s Grand National winner Auroras Encore and is himself entered in this year’s race, showed an abundance of stamina and determination to fight back and win going away.

The biggest field of the day lined up in the DAD Handicap Hurdle but, by the finish, the runners were well strung out behind Tullyesker Hill.

Yellow Ball took the field along at a good pace, but he was passed by Cadeu George coming out of the back straight. He, in turn, was joined by Tullyesker Hill jumping the second-last flight and David Pipe’s only runner at the meeting went clear under Tom Bellamy to score by five lengths.

The trip was three-and-a-quarter miles for the day’s longest race, the starsportsbet.co.uk Novices’ Chase, with King saddling the promising Midnight Prayer, a winner at Stratford in October.

With Alpha Victor refusing at the first fence and Spike Mac tailed off, the race turned into an exercise canter for Midnight Prayer, who completed a double for King at the course and a treble on the afternoon after the victory of Smad Place at Newbury.

As darkness descended, Royal Player followed up his Exeter win when making all the running to take the finale.