Bertie Blake marches to first win amid emotional scenes at Sedgefield

There were emotional scenes after the opener at Sedgefield when Bertie Blake made all to land a few tidy bets in the 2m4f handicap hurdle.

The winner is named after the great grandfather of Daniel Blake, one of the part-owners of the 9-4 favourite (from 4), and a soldier who lost his life at the Battle of the Somme in World War I.

In the race itself, Bertie Blake showed some of the courage of his namesake to make all the running and go clear of market rival Titus Bolt to provide Tommy Dowson the first leg of a double.