Dear Sire initiates McCain treble with career best in feature

Dear Sire is thriving on his racing and scored a fifth and easily biggest win of the year when beating Caius Marcius in the feature Sprits of Scone Stone of Destiny Handicap Hurdle.

The £25,000 event attracted only six runners, but they were all winners in the current season and punters appeared to give the Donald McCain-trained grey little chance of reversing recent course- and-distance running with favourite Mirsaale, despite a handy pull in the weights.

However, Dear Sire enjoyed a good lead from confirmed front-runner Theflyingportrait and, with Mirsaale's jumping letting him down and second favourite Lovato a faller, he came home eight lengths clear. It was his third win under jockey Will Kennedy.