Our Scholar overcomes trouble to give Jack Jones a landmark winner

Jack Jones saddled his first winner over jumps when Our Scholar landed the 2m3f maiden hurdle under Harry Cobden.

Our Scholar was sent off the even-money favourite but had to battle hard to hold off 40-1 shot Moytier by half a length.

Jones, who began his training career last year, said: “That’s my first jumps winner. I had five point-to-point winners as a jockey.

“He should have won a messy race at Worcester last time but was just unlucky. He’s done well to win there after losing five lengths at the start.

“I had two sleepless months without a buyer for him after purchasing him on spec, but then thankfully Mary-Ann and Christopher Middleton were in the yard and asked about him. They had shares in a filly we had on the Flat and have always been great supporters of mine.”

Jones runs a dual-purpose yard from his Newmarket base and has been operating at a red-hot 50 per cent strike-rate in the last fortnight.

He added: “We have 12 horses in training and we’ve had three winners from our last six runners. 

“We had a really nice two-year-old winner at Doncaster [Up The Manor], who will be heading for Royal Ascot. Having horses like that and runners at those meetings is important for the yard.”

After holding off Syd Hosie’s Moytier when scoring on Our Scholar, Cobden teamed up with the trainer to land the 2m5f handicap hurdle on Way Out.

Roberts back on course

Bradley Roberts enjoyed a welcome return to the winner's enclosure after being disqualified for taking the wrong course at Uttoxeter on Saturday when his mount Pak Army completed a hat-trick in the 2m novice handicap hurdle.

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