The Hamiltons strike again as veteran Nuts Well lands big Kelso pot

Saturday: Kelso

On the day the big boys came to town, the small team of Ann and Ian Hamilton landed yet another decent prize in their amazing season.

Offering more than £260,000 in prize-money tempted Alan King to have his first runners at Kelso, while Nicky Henderson sent up dual Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D'Air.

But they were upstaged by Nuts Well, who emulated his half-brother Runswick Royal seven years earlier by landing the £50,000 bet365 Premier Chase, a 12th victory this season for his six-horse stable near Newcastle, which has earned more than £220,000 in prize-money in 2021-22.

The 16-1 shot, a winner over 2m1f here in October who has now earned nearly a quarter of a million in prize-money, landed his first success over three miles thanks to a patient ride by Brian Hughes, standing in for the injured Danny McMenamin.

"I'm thrilled to bits with Nuts Well," Ann Hamilton said. "He's 11-years-old and Brian has done a brilliant job of nursing him around and he got him home."

Watch Nuts Well land the Premier Chase

Nuts Well had been pulled up in the Sky Bet Chase in January but Ian Hamilton said: "I thought he had a right chance today – if he stayed three miles. We've had him attended to since Doncaster. He has back troubles; we have to mediate his back a bit and he was ready for that after Doncaster.

"Brian is just magic. He said he was going to sit at the back and let them go and he'd creep into it. He just cruised up to them, didn't he?"

The jockey's first thoughts were for his injured colleague, who had already missed an earlier winner on the card. Hughes – winning this race for the fifth time in its last eight runnings – said: "Nuts Well has been a great horse for Ian and Ann but it's a shame for Danny, he's these horses' pilot."

Brian Hughes: 'He is just magic'Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

The yard's season could get even better when the fast-improving Tommy's Oscar heads south for the Champion Hurdle, but Ian Hamilton said: "That's a bit different. He's done it very easily but he hasn't beaten a Champion Hurdle horse, has he?"

Tommy's Oscar has already contributed four wins this season, with stablemates Pay The Piper (two wins) and Bavington Bob (four) also playing their part.

"It's been a fantastic season," Ian Hamilton said. "I suppose we've got better horses and a great team at home – two super girls and the trainer!"

Sky Bet Chase winner Windsor Avenue was pulled up here, having made much of the running, and trainer Brian Ellison said: "He wants better ground; he's a proper good-ground horse."

Itchy Feet was also pulled up and was found to have a wound to his right fore.

Results, replays and analysis

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