'Ciara's my lucky charm' - Gidleigh Park impresses for Harry Fry as wife returns to the races after kick from horse

There was no bigger smile on the day than that on the face of Harry Fry, who was able to celebrate Gidleigh Park's impressive victory with his wife Ciara by his side for the first time since being kicked by a horse in October.

Ciara suffered a liver injury, as well as internal bleeding, but thanks to the doctors at the Bristol Southmead intensive care unit she made a full recovery and was able to cheer home Gidleigh Park, who scored by nine lengths in the 2m4½f novice hurdle, from the stands for the first time in more than two months.

"It's the first time Ciara has been back at the races since her injury – she's picked a good day to come! My lucky charm." Fry said, beaming from ear to ear.

A winner of a bumper and a novice hurdle, the five-year-old was sent off the even-money favourite to remain unbeaten and duly obliged under Johnny Burke, who sat motionless until the last before the pair shot clear on the run-in.

"I'm delighted, it's another step up the ladder," Fry added. "This was a step up in trip and he didn't jump all that fluently to begin with, but when the race started to develop he got better. There were some nice horses we were taking on and the form keeps working out well."

Gidleigh Park was cut to 14-1 (from 25) for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Fry added: "Johnny said he was surprised with the amount of speed he's showing. The hardest job Johnny has at the moment is pulling him up, which is no bad thing! He's a very exciting horse and I just hope he can keep progressing into the spring."

Asked about future plans, Fry said: "We'll go to Cheltenham at the end of January for the Grade 2 novice hurdle on Trials day."

Burke doubled up when guiding the Anthony Honeyball-trained Park Princess to a debut success in the closing bumper.

Living Legend

Owner-breeder Francis Mahon was counting his blessings for keeping Pink Legend in training after she made all under Charlie Deutsch in the feature Listed mares' chase.

Mahon, who indicated the Lady Protectress at Huntingdon and the Mares' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival were options, said: "She shouldn't really still be in training, it's only down to Venetia [Williams, trainer].

"We had a conversation 18 months ago after she finished second in the Mares' Chase at Cheltenham. I thought she was a nice breeding prospect, but Venetia said 'why retire a horse when she's running as well as she ever has done?', so she got away again and has won four since, and finished placed again in the Mares' Chase!"

Battling Brave

Brave Kingdom looks to have earned himself a shot at Graded company after he remained unbeaten over fences with a battling success in the 2m7½f novice handicap chase.

Victory didn't look likely when Theatre Man took it up with four fences to jump, but Harry Cobden kept asking Brave Kingdom for effort and he found more for pressure to lead at the last and win by one and three-quarter lengths.

Winning trainer Paul Nicholls said: "He could just be one to go to that Grade 2 at Warwick in the middle of January over three miles – he gallops all day and it doesn't matter how wet it is. He just keeps on improving. He's had problems and missed the best part of two years but he's come back good – he's a proper horse."

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