'We miss her like mad' - Hugo Palmer buoyed by poignant winner as yard remembers late staff member

Winning a 0-80 handicap worth £12,000 might not mean much to a Classic-winning trainer, but Hugo Palmer took great pride and delight in the victory of Pearly Star at Chester on Friday as it came on the card which remembered late staff member Jess Whalley.

A key part of Palmer's team at his Cheshire stables owned by Michael Owen, Whalley died at the age of 25 in March despite colleagues performing CPR on her until a doctor and paramedics arrived.

In her honour, Chester staged the Remembering Jess Whalley Handicap at Friday's fixture, which Pearly Star won for the yard.

Palmer said: "After Jess died we were talking about what we could do to try and raise some money for a charity that was relevant, so we're raising money for Cardiac Risk in the Young.

"We thought it would be a nice way to remember her and a nice opportunity for her friends in the yard to go to Chester, have a good time, and raise a glass in her memory, which they very much did.

"A few of our team picked the best turned out and presented the trophy, but sadly we didn't have a horse suitable to run in the race as it would have been lovely to have tried and won it.

"Older handicap sprinters aren't really what we've got at the moment, but it was an enjoyable night and Chester were exceptionally good to us and gave us a load of tickets for the staff and Jess's family."

Hugo Palmer: ""We thought it would be a nice way to remember her"

Palmer, whose biggest triumph came when Galileo Gold won the 2,000 Guineas in 2016, added: "It was fantastic we marked the night with a winner in Pearly Star, who runs for Michael's racing club.

"It capped it all off, but she was one of only two runners we had on the night. I was looking at the races and thinking what we could run and she was one of them, although you don't win many 0-80 handicaps with 61-rated fillies. It felt like a miracle and it's the sort of thing that makes you believe in something, I think."

Formerly based in Newmarket, Palmer moved to Chester to train last year and Whalley, who had also worked for William Haggas and Sir Michael Stoute in the town, joined him.

"It really wasn't long ago and Jess was a lovely girl who was a fantastic part of our team," he said. "She was very popular and was great to have around – we miss her like mad."

Donations to Cardiac Risk in the Young can be made here.