'It's an emotional one' - first winner for JP McManus since family tragedy

Jonjo O'Neill Jr dedicated Flight Deck's victory to JP McManus and his family following the death of the legendary owner's daughter-in-law Emma at the age of 40 in Barbados over Christmas.

McManus, who had suspended his operation, only started having runners again on Wednesday after a memorial service was held for Emma on the Caribbean island on Tuesday.

O'Neill Jr provided a poignant first success since the tragedy in McManus's famous green and gold silks on Flight Deck in the 2m3½f handicap hurdle.

"I'm delighted to get a winner for JP and Noreen [McManus's wife]," said O'Neill Jr. "There was a family tragedy with Emma and we're all thinking about John [McManus's son] and the whole family. Noreen bred this horse as well, so it's an emotional one."

Flight Deck is trained by O'Neill Jr's father Jonjo and the winning trainer added: "It was a really emotional success and our hearts go out to John, his three little girls, JP, Noreen and family having suffered the tragic loss of Emma. We will all miss her very much. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them all."

The winner returned to hurdles after falling on his chase debut at Huntingdon in October to record a second win in six starts.

O'Neill Jr said: "He fell last time over fences and lost his confidence, so we brought him back to hurdles. He's still a young horse and is every bit a chaser, and hopefully we'll try again next season."

Landmark victory for shocked Bevis

The racecourse was empty and the weather miserable, but it did not take the shine off a landmark first success for local trainer Robert Bevis, who was as surprised as anyone at Sartene's Son's 22-1 upset in the 2m7f handicap hurdle.

The 55-year-old, who trains at nearby Malpas, has "tinkered about with racing" on and off for a number of years and is the brother of Richard 'Sparky' Bevis, who is head lad for Nigel Twiston-Davies.

Robert Bevis celebrates his first success following Sartene's Son win in the 2m7f handicap hurdleCredit: Andrew Dietz

"It's great to get a winner," said Bevis, whose primary focus is showjumping. "We've only got three in and he's a nice horse who stays and goes on the heavy ground.

"I thought he might be in the first three or four, but I didn't expect him to win. We use a gallop next to where we are and weren't able to get on it for three or four days because of the snow, so I thought he was going to be a bit short."

Bevis praised the ride given to Sartene's Son by Gavin Sheehan, who recorded the 500th victory of his career.

"Gavin was brilliant there and most of it was down to him," he said.

Man Of The North revels in mud

Lee Edwards backed up clerk of the course Andrew Morris's pre-racing assessment that the ground was "probably as bad as you'd get anywhere without it being unraceable", but the jockey was not complaining after Man Of The North won the 2m1½f handicap chase.

Edwards, a late jockey change after his ride at Catterick was withdrawn before that meeting was snowed off, produced a well-judged ride on the Tony Carroll-trained 22-1 winner, who rallied under pressure to beat favourite Miss Amelia by six lengths.

Queen rules down in grade

The Glancing Queen, third in the Grade 1 Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury last month, made the most of a significant drop in class to run out an easy winner of the 2m½f mares' novice hurdle for trainer Alan King and jockey Tom Cannon.

Results, replays and analysis

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