Andy Irvine 'keeps the show on the road' with a 28-1 winner

When each day is a struggle little victories mean a lot. That was the poignant reflection of trainer Andy Irvine as he landed his second winner after inheriting the licence on the death of his wife Zoe Davison last month.

The first had come a day after Davison was buried on the gallops at their West Sussex yard and Blarney Bateleur doubled the tally by taking the mares' handicap hurdle off bottomweight.

"Each day is difficult," Irvine admitted afterwards. "I wake up each morning and my wife isn't there.

"But we're keeping the show on the road. We left at 5.45 this morning and it took nearly five hours – but this makes it worth it."

Blarney Bateleur was a 28-1 shot who had finished no closer than eighth in three previous hurdle runs.

But Irivine said: "We always liked her and the better ground and running in a handicap made the difference. I was worried this might be too high a class for her but she had just 10st 1lb and it was a mares' race so we thought it worth taking a chance."

Progressing with every run

Minella Drama may lack a Cheltenham Festival entry but that does not mean he is not well thought of.

The Donald McCain-trained six-year-old had beaten all bar two of the 33 rivals he had faced in four starts this term and the 13-8 favourite was a ready three-length winner of the Listed 2m4½f Sidney Banks Novices' Hurdle.

"He's always been a nice horse and his form has been solid," said jockey Brian Hughes. "Every run has stacked up well, the horses he has beaten and who beat him first time have all come out and won and have good ratings now.

"He's progressing with every run and he's going to be a nice chaser next season.

"It was suiting us to run him over two miles because the right races were there but he does stay this trip and I dare say he might get three miles in time. But we'll take it one step at a time."

Brooke's back

Henry Brooke continued the fine start to his comeback from a broken neck by landing the juvenile maiden hurdle on Homme Public for Oliver Greenall.

He rode a winner at Carlisle in midweek, on his first day back riding after suffering the injury in a schooling fall at Greenall's Cheshire yard in November, and doubled his tally as the 11-8 favourite scored by six and a half lengths.

Henry Brooke: 'I'm falling back into the swing of things slowly'Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"I'm falling back into the swing of things slowly," the jockey said. "It's nice to have the support of plenty of people like these. I'm feeling good - though I'll get better."

The winner is entered in the JCB Triumph Hurdle but Greenall said: "I don't know about that. He's done it nicely enough today but what he's beaten is hard to say. It's a possibility but I don't know if he's hardened enough."

A pleasure to ride

Ajero is a half-brother to high-class chaser Charbel and showed he is at least useful himself by completing a hat-trick in the Class 3 handicap hurdle.

Kim Bailey's stable jockey David Bass knows both horses well and said: "Ajero is a pleasure to ride, he's got loads of gears. He's actually quicker than Charbel and he was a really quick horse.

"At home he has to do everything on his own because he's too quick for anything else."

Ajero could be one to watch in a drying spring as Bass added: "He's a progressive horse and he's so quick – and better ground will bring out that strength."

More to read:

Racing community mourns the loss of trainer Zoe Davison aged 60

Andy Irvine moved by 'beautiful' first winner after death of partner Zoe Davison

'I didn't think it was that serious' - broken neck sidelines Henry Brooke

Brooke scores on second ride back from serious neck injury

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