Hang In There camp delighted as he sparkles on return to form

It has been a game of patience for connections of the aptly named Hang In There, but Emma Lavelle has been rewarded with a return to form for the former classy novice hurdler.

The seven-year-old was a winner of the Grade 2 Sharp Novices' Hurdle in 2019 before mixing in Grade 1 company, but has since failed to find the level of his novice career.

However, the tide may be turning for Hang In There after he made all the running under Tom Bellamy to win the feature 2m½f handicap hurdle by nine lengths.

A delighted Lavelle said: "I think he's getting back to his best. He got a little lost after a great novice campaign, went up quite a long way in the weights and it just didn't happen for him the following season.

"It kept nearly happening, but it just wasn't. I kept him going through the summer thinking we could get some good ground, and literally every time we went to run it started raining, so it's great to get him back on track and a race like that was a great confidence-booster for him and us.

"It would be nice to think we could look at some bigger targets as the summer progresses, we might even run him in the valuable handicap hurdle at Market Rasen next weekend."

Long-overdue win

Air Hair Lair broke a 20-race duck to secure a first win for trainer Sheena West in the 2m3½f handicap chase.

The five-year-old has thrived since a switch to fences in April and was ridden by Marc Goldstein, who missed a large chunk of last season after breaking his pelvis.

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