'He's done nine miles in eight days, that's all you can ask for' - Heritier De Sivola seals rapid hat-trick

Heritier De Sivola showed his love of racing by claiming his third win in just eight days when taking the 3m handicap chase for Phil Kirby.

The seven-year-old followed up his comfortable success at the course on March 14 with victory at Newcastle two days later, before competing the hat-trick under Joe Williamson when seeing off Camp Belan by a head.

"He's done nine miles in eight days, that's all you can ask for really," Kirby said. "He's a lovely, kind and easy horse to train and comes out of his races brilliantly. He didn't blow hard after his last two wins so we just thought while he was going well we'd just find a winnable race and strike while the iron was hot."

A break is on the horizon for the odds-on winner,  but he could be back in action at Carlisle for the Go North Series Final at the start of April. 

Kirby said: "He'd qualified for the series final and I was going to wait for that, but I realised he probably wouldn't get in at the weights, so that's why I ran him today. Now he's won this, if he came out of it really well I wouldn't completely rule it out, but it's not far away either and it might just be a bit soon."

Galunggung ridden by Brian Hughes wins at HexhamCredit: John Grossick

Hughes holds on

Brian Hughes had just one ride but he made the trip to the Northumberland track count with a narrow victory on Galunggung in the 2m novice hurdle. 

The favourite showed a determined attitude to hold off Fox's Fancy and claim his maiden win by a neck, having finished runner-up on his sole previous rules start 14 months ago to subsequent three-time winner Traprain Law. 

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