15-year-old proves age is just a number with heartwarming 66-1 Exeter strike

Cheltenham will struggle to come up with a more heartwarming and amazing story next week than the one Sunny Ledgend wrote at Exeter on Tuesday.

The 15-year-old, sent off an unconsidered 66-1, ran his rivals ragged in the 3m handicap chase under a disbelieving Richard Patrick, returning to an ovation from an equally shocked crowd with a Tote return of £139.90.

Richard Patrick: had a blast on 15-year-old winner Sunny Ledgend at Exeter on TuesdayCredit: Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images

Halfway up the home straight it looked possible that his owner and trainer Andrew Martin could pull off the shock of the season as his other runner Midnight Mustang, a mere 13-year-old and 25-1, was keeping him close company with the rest struggling in their wake before finishing fourth.

Members can watch the race replay here

The winning rider told Racing TV: "That was the first time I have sat on him and it was a pleasure to ride him – he went round like a five-year-old and had an absolute blast out there."

Patrick admitted he dared to dream of the fairytale halfway down the back straight as he had stretched his 13 rivals after "a brilliant start, and with ten stone on his back in the testing ground I thought he would take some pegging back.

"He had his ears pricked and was doing nothing in front. I prayed for something to come to him as he was getting slower and slower and idling like mad but he was as brave as a lion."

Andrew Martin, pictured after Sunny Ledgend's success at Lingfield in 2013, saw his veteran strike again seven years laterCredit: Hugh Routledge

Sunny Ledgend was winning for the seventh time under rules, having scored in a maiden hurdle at Bangor eight years ago.

He went on to finish 13th at 100-1 to Simonsig in the 2012 Neptune (now the Ballymore) at Cheltenham and was back at the festival the following year to finish sixth in the Kim Muir.

His last win was at Leicester more than three years ago and his form tailed off before a 621-day absence and then two forgettable races in the run-up to this stunning victory.

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