'I'm delighted' - in-form Bethell's brilliant start to the year rolls on with double

Ed Bethell's fantastic start to the season showed no signs of stopping with a double on the card, headlined by James McHenry's battling win in the mile handicap.

The three-year-old placed in three of his four starts as a juvenile, but made the perfect start to his season with a one-and-a-half-length success under Callum Rodriguez.

Rodriguez and Bethell teamed up earlier on the card when Kardia got off the mark in the 1m4f maiden. The double took the North Yorkshire trainer's strike-rate to 32 per cent this year, with ten winners from just 31 runners.

Bethell said: "I'm delighted. The horses are in really good nick and I really hope we can continue to keep it up. Like all things, we'll take each day as it comes but the horses are really well.

"Kardia was just ready to start off and she showed a good attitude. We got it slightly wrong with James McHenry last year and he showed some greenness there, but he is a really lovely horse who can progress in time."

Track specialist

Bay Breeze and David Allan maintained their perfect partnership at the track with a third course-and-distance victory in the 6f handicap.

The Tim Easterby-trained four-year-old stormed to success on the far side rail by a length to bolster his Ripon record, having won his previous two starts at the course last year.

Belated win

Dogged picked up his first win in over three-and-a-half years with a game victory under Elle May-Croot in the opening mile handicap for apprentice jockeys.

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