'She's absolutely delighted' - Gwennie May Boy hits new heights in Rendlesham for octogenarian owner

Gwennie May Boy penned another compelling chapter in his remarkable story when winning the WKD Rendlesham Hurdle for octogenarian owner Gwendoline Clarke.

Clarke made her first foray into the ownership ranks with Gwennie May Boy in 2022 and has struck gold with the Dan Skelton-trained seven-year-old, who scored on his first attempt at Grade 2 level.

Already a winner of valuable handicap hurdles at Uttoxeter and Aintree's Grand National meeting last season, Gwennie May Boy might have set himself up for a crack at the Cheltenham Festival after powering away from Grand National entry Beauport in the closing stages under Charlie Todd.

Clarke has been on course to watch Gwennie May Boy on his other big days, but missed out this time.

"She's 84 now and is just looking after herself, but I had a quick chat with her and she's absolutely delighted," said her son Nick. 

"It's been an incredible journey with him. Mum said if she survived Covid, she wanted to buy a racehorse and he was the first one she bought. He won at 80-1 on his debut at Bangor and has been fantastic ever since.

"There was talk of sticking to last year's plan of Uttoxeter and then Aintree, but we might have to start thinking about Cheltenham."

Gwennie May Boy was cut to 8-1 (from 16-1) for the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham by bet365.

Island dreaming

Tom Lacey will not make any quick decisions about Cheltenham despite Gibbs Island's impressive victory in the Victor Ludorum Juvenile Hurdle.

Gibbs Island, an Irish Flat recruit who is entered in the JCB Triumph Hurdle, showed a lot of promise on just his second start over hurdles under Stan Sheppard. 

Gibbs Island clears a flight en route to winning the Victor Ludorum Juvenile HurdleCredit: John Grossick

"He looks a really nice prospect," said Lacey. "He looks a better jumper than he did a Flat horse and he jumped so well. We were quietly confident as his work had improved since Sedgefield.

"He's got a festival entry but we'll see as he's only a four-year-old with his whole life in front of him."

Pertemps pointer

One Big Bang put himself in the reckoning for the Cheltenham Festival with a decisive success in the qualifier for the Pertemps Final.

Paddy Power introduced the James Owen-trained seven-year-old into their betting at 20-1 for that race after he shot clear of Doddiethegreat after the last.

Oliver Wright, syndicate manager for One Big Bang's owners Big Bang Racing, said: "He's done it nicely and we might be looking at Cheltenham now. This is the first time he's run on slightly better ground and he likes it here."

Natural born stayer

Battle Born Lad handled the step up from two miles to three with aplomb to run out a ready winner of the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices' Hurdle for trainer Mark Walford.

Winning jockey Jamie Hamilton, who was dumped by the winner after the line, said: "I turned in and couldn't believe how well I was going and he was still full of it after the race. 

"He's not an easy ride as he's free-going and I'd say Cheltenham would come too soon, but there's always Aintree."

Back on track

My Drogo, a Grade 1 winner as a novice hurdler, won the 2m6f hunter chase on his first start on a racecourse for a year.

"He's jumped mega and we're back on track, so it's very exciting," said trainer Edward Walker. 

"We were initially thinking of Cheltenham but we're not sure whether he'll get up the hill and I'll have to talk to the owner."

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