'He's been frustrating me' - 100,000gns purchase finally gets off the mark for Warren Greatrex
Warren Greatrex was delighted after "frustrating" Jaramillo belatedly opened his hurdling account at the ninth time of asking in the 2m4f novice handicap.
Rated 85 on the Flat when trained by Roger Varian, the five-year-old was purchased for 100,000gns by an Owners Group syndicate and had eight starts without success since, but a step up in trip here saw him win by two and a half lengths under Conor O'Farrell.
"He's been frustrating me. He's just been finding one or two too good and hasn't taken to the hurly burly of handicaps, he likes to dominate," Greatrex said.
"We thought it was best to step him up in trip and he's done it nicely. He's got loads of ability, but he's just got a mind of his own.
"He's rated 80-odd on the Flat and had every right to win something like this. Hopefully now he's won we can start heading forward."
O'Farrell also landed the 2m5f novice handicap chase on the Micky Hammond-trained Trac, who made it three wins from his last four.
Brilliant Brian
The Blame Game recorded his first success in over a year in the 3m3f handicap hurdle under Brian Hughes.
It was the nine-year-old's first try at the trip and Hughes was heavily involved in the decision to go for it according to winning trainer James Ewart, who said: "I also had him entered at Musselburgh but Brian rang me after the entries and persuaded me to go for this one and it paid off."
Ewart added: "I'd like to think he's well handicapped. He seems to run better round Sedgefield than anywhere else but I think his best piece of form came at Musselburgh when second to the Grade 2 Rendlesham winner Wakool. He didn't get beat far and that reads awfully well now."
The win completed a double for Hughes, who earlier steered Aubis Walk to her first success over hurdles in the 2m4f mares' novice.
Read these next:
'How can you not look forward to Frodon?' - Bryony Frost warms up with another winner
'We might have to run him again next week' - quick turnaround no issue for Seigneur
The Cheltenham Ultimate Guide 2023, out Friday, March 3. Order your copy here.
- Hereford: 'He's going great guns' - another winner for in-form Freddie Gordon as Mister Upton impresses
- Hexham: 'The horses seem to run well here' - Forest Blaze bolsters Mark Walford's impressive track record
- Fontwell: 'It's the game I love and there's nothing like it' - Henrietta Knight enjoys first jumps winner since 2015
- Uttoxeter: emotional victory for connections as Jingko Blue makes perfect start to chasing career with emphatic win
- Punchestown: 'It's a great start' - Dancing City cut to 6-1 for the Brown Advisory after successful chasing debut
- Hereford: 'He's going great guns' - another winner for in-form Freddie Gordon as Mister Upton impresses
- Hexham: 'The horses seem to run well here' - Forest Blaze bolsters Mark Walford's impressive track record
- Fontwell: 'It's the game I love and there's nothing like it' - Henrietta Knight enjoys first jumps winner since 2015
- Uttoxeter: emotional victory for connections as Jingko Blue makes perfect start to chasing career with emphatic win
- Punchestown: 'It's a great start' - Dancing City cut to 6-1 for the Brown Advisory after successful chasing debut