'It worked out well' - Bandey thrilled with Theatre Man after comfortable win

Wednesday: Hereford

Trainer Richard Bandey admitted to being a little surprised at how comfortably Theatre Man won the opening 2m3½f novice hurdle.

The six-year-old, who finished 27 lengths behind subsequent Grade 2 winner Hermes Allen on his previous start, led from start to finish and scored by 12 lengths under David Bass.

Bandey said: "It was a really pleasing performance and we’ve put the form of the Stratford run when he finished second to Hermes Allen behind him.

"We wouldn’t have said we were confident going into today that he was as good as what he showed, but he handled the ground very well. He also jumped cleanly, which helped him go through the race strongly."

Despite the commanding nature of the win, Bandey said he would take his time before making plans for Theatre Man.

"We might look at the EBF Final, but I’m not experienced enough yet in my training career to plot out the next step, so we'll take it race by race," he said.

"David said the trip really suited him. He was a bit keen over the first few hurdles, but he was allowed a free run in front and it worked out well."

It was the first leg of a 70-1 double for Bass as he later guided the Kim Bailey-trained Party Fuzz to a surprise 18-1 win in the feature 3m1f handicap chase.

Double strike

Paul Nicholls also celebrated a double after Beau Balko justified favouritism in the 2m novice hurdle before Ioupy Collonges landed the bumper.

Results, replays and analysis

Download the new Racing Post app here to read exclusive content from the biggest names. There are brilliant betting masterclasses from Tom Segal, Paul Kealy and David Jennings, Q&As with pro punters, trainers and jockeys, plus much more. Download the new app now to access all of this unrivalled content.