'It feels really good' - New Year's Day lucky again for Lucy Gardner after she ends two-year wait for a winner

New Year's Day again proved lucky for jockey Lucy Gardner after she ended a two-year wait for a winner in the 2m½f novice hurdle aboard Storming Nelson.

Gardner, whose last winner was on Astronomic View on this card in 2022, never looked in any danger on Storming Nelson, who reversed recent form with favourite Royal Jewel, pulling eight and a half lengths clear in the closing stages.

"It feels really good," Gardner told Racing TV. "Especially riding a horse like him, he's beautiful to ride. He does everything nicely.

"The Hobbs horse [Royal Jewel] had won since, so had to give me 7lb today, and I was only four lengths behind him at Exeter [in November], so that's why I thought he probably had a chance today.

"And he's got better every time he's run. The first couple of times he was jumping a bit big, but he jumped brilliantly today."

Williams double

Joyau Allen had to work hard in atrocious conditions but powered through the mud to make a winning start under rules in the closing bumper.

The Paul Nicholls-trained five-year-old, who is a brother to Envoi Allen, was sent for home in the straight by Lorcan Williams and was always doing enough to keep Saint Anapolino three and a quarter lengths at bay.

Williams was completing a double having earlier guided the Jeremy Scott-trained Leissieres Express to a first victory at the tenth time of asking in the feature 3m handicap chase.

Brilliant Bill

Bolsover Bill provided amateur jockey Victoria Malzard with her first victory over fences in the 2m3f handicap chase on the seven-year-old's stable debut for Harry Derham. The winning trainer also enjoyed a double at Musselburgh.

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