Geromino! No stopping teen sensation Charlie Maggs in £50,000 dash

Teenage conditional jockey Charlie Maggs got the better of vastly more experienced rivals to land a £50,000 2m hurdle which was turned into a tactical poser by the removal of all three flights in the straight.

The 10lb claimer had ridden just three winners previously but always had Geromino at the head of affairs, held a handy lead in what became a seven-furlong Flat race after the final obstacle had been jumped and held on by half a length and a neck at the line.

Maggs, 18, and his twin brother William have been based with Donald McCain for half a dozen years and the trainer said: "I'm very lucky, I've got a great team of jockeys in the yard and he and his twin brother have been coming every weekend since they were 12.

"I was down by the last with the owner Gary Fitzpatrick, who's a great supporter, and moaning they were taking all the hurdles out because Geromino is such a good jumper. But a 10lb claim in a Flat race is a lot and Charlie judged it well."

Maggs, who won the Scottish County Hurdle at Musselburgh on Collingham last season, said: "Mr McCain said let him travel where he's happy, he ended up rolling along in front and he was good. He's a hardy horse who keeps going. He kept on galloping all the way to the line."

Good Godfrey

Fellow conditional jockey Ben Godfrey scored his richest success in the £50,000 3m chase, in which all four fences in the straight were omitted, aboard Forward Plan.

It was the 3lb claimer's fourth win on the seven-year-old and he said: "That's my biggest win and he's been great for me.

"He travelled really well, he's only a little horse but he's been holding his own in nice races and shaped well in the Badger Beer. The fences were out but he has a nice turn of foot." 

King reigns again

You can tell this season is going significantly better than last when you match your total of winners with more than four months to go.

"I should hope so!" was the rejuvenated Neil King's response when it was pointed out that Onemorefortheroad's success in the 2m½f handicap chase was the trainer's tenth victory of the term, equalling his tally for the whole of 2022-23.

"It's a good sign," the trainer said. "The horses are running much better this season."

Onemorefortheroad defied top weight of 12st 2lb to make a successful chasing debut under Jack Quinlan and King said: "He's always schooled fantastically over fences at home. He'll have learned plenty from that. It's very difficult to find the ground for a horse like him this winter so we had to come here as it's the best ground in the country at the moment."    

Onemorefortheroad's win bodes well for stablemate Lookaway, a smart hurdler who will either bid for the Betfair Exchange Trophy Handicap Hurdle at Ascot next Saturday or step up to Grade 1 company.

Neil King: in excellent formCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"He'll be entered for the Formby Novices' Hurdle at Aintree on Boxing Day and we'll choose between the two," King said.

"He's in very good form, he worked with this horse on Wednesday morning and went super so he's bang on target for either."

Glory for England

Sam England scored her richest win when Glory And Honour turned the tables on his Newcastle conqueror Cruz Control to land the £35,000 2m3f novice handicap chase.

The winner was sent off a 14-1 shot, with his rival topping the betting at 3-1, yet he came out on top by a length and three-quarters under the trainer's husband Jonathan.

"I thought he'd appreciate the good ground," Sam England said. "He was 3lb better off with the favourite so I couldn't see why he started the price he did." 

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