'He's had a difficult season' - Shantou Express comes good for Kim Bailey

Wednesday: Market Rasen

Shantou Express bounced back to form to win for the first time since December 2020 when landing the 2m4½f handicap hurdle for trainer Kim Bailey.

The seven-year-old was a promising novice hurdler with two wins and two seconds from four starts, before disappointing when switched to handicap hurdles and chases.

After finishing third over 2m½f at Stratford on his previous outing, Shantou Express relished the extra half-mile here to score by two lengths under David Bass.

Bailey said: "I was very pleased with him. He's had a difficult season – we ran him over fences and it didn't really work for him. He, like a lot of my horses, hasn't been right during the winter, but they're starting to come right now.

"He ran much better than it looked last time and gave the impression that he wanted the step up in trip."

Bailey added: "We're probably going to keep him going [through the summer]."

Sam Twiston-Davies: three out of three at Market RasenCredit: Edward Whitaker

Treble for Twiston-Davies

Sam Twiston-Davies had three rides on the card, and won on all three.

Super Six, fifth in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival last year, got Twiston-Davies up and running when fending off the late challenge of the Olly Murphy-trained Doctor Ken to land the 2m2½f novice hurdle for the rider's father Nigel.

The jockey followed up by partnering the Richard Newland-trained Thirtyfourstitches to a four-length success in the 2m7f handicap hurdle, before bringing up the treble in the 2m5½f handicap chase aboard Onchan, again for father Nigel.

Results, replays and analysis

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