'This is fantastic for a small yard like ours' - Sunday Soldier completes five-timer in £30,000 race

It took her seven hours to get here and she was 36lb higher in the weights than on her first visit but nothing was going to stop the remarkable Sunday Soldier.

The transformed six-year-old, who was beaten a minimum of 18 lengths in each of her first three hurdle races, completed an astonishing five-timer of handicap wins with victory in the 2m4f Racing Post Go North Lady Buttons Mares' Hurdle Series Final under Richie McLernon.

She was racing off a BHA mark of 114, having been rated 78 when she started her winning run for Gloucestershire trainers David Killahena and Graeme McPherson here in December.

"She's a lovely mare and it's all credit to Becky Cuthbert at home who rides her every day," Killahena said. "She's done a fantastic job with her.

"She's a very easy mare to deal with at home, she trains herself.

"We started her off over this trip thinking she needed it and she wasn't seeing it out, but I think that was due to weakness. She's got stronger. She had a little cut when she ran at Worcester, we gave her a break and she's done nothing but improve after that."

The series final was worth £30,000 and Killahena said: "This is fantastic for a small yard like ours. We've only had 86 runners this season but they've all been running well.

"It took us seven hours to come up yesterday. We stayed the night and the way back will be a lot sweeter!"

'Don't get mad, get even!'

Susan Corbett won a Racing Post Go North race at Kelso last season and went one better 12 months on as Velasco and Champ Royal gave her a one-two in the Brindisi Breeze Hurdle Final here.

Her success was not due to chance as the Newcastle trainer said: "I plan for these races every year. Some people say it's an obsession but it's such good prize money.

"And it's a chance for northern trainers to showcase their horses, rather than 'run your horse up north because the racing's not very good up there.' That makes you cross and I think the expression is 'don't get mad, get even!'"

Velasco had been pulled up when bidding to complete a hat trick on his previous run and Corbett said: "He was flat last time, we ran him too quickly. He did such a good job of winning at Doncaster and a week later he felt marvellous at home

"We took a chance and it was wrong. We don't get it right all the time."

Mack's the man

The ten-year-old Mack The Man, who won a Listed hurdle at Sandown half a lifetime ago, gained his first success since 2021 when landing the Racing Post Go North Sea Pigeon Hurdle Series Final.

"He's had some good days in the past and it's great that he's had another one now," said trainer Nick Alexander. 

"He was a good horse in his earlier days and I'm delighted."

Golden success

Five-time Flat winner Golden Maverick doubled his tally of hurdle victories when landing the Racing Post Go North Grey Bomber Juvenile Hurdle Series Final.

Two dozen owners through Raceshare braved the rain for the presentation and Gavin Sheehan, who rode the evens favourite for Jamie Snowden, said: "He's done it well in the end.

"They picked up the pace quite early and I had to get him rolling, but when I did he ended up finding for me."

Always confident of racing

Testing ground caused 12 withdrawals at a meeting staged six days after the track lost its flagship Easter Saturday Flat fixture due to waterlogging.

But chief executive Bill Farnsworth said: "We always felt it was raceable, we've had nearly 70mm of rain this week but we felt it could take it.

"People ask how we could race after last week's abandonment but the jumps track is far sandier than the Flat track, which is also watered all summer, and it's an all-hurdles card so we could move the flights to ground which has mostly not been raced on in months."

Brian Hughes won the opening maiden hurdle on Speed Davis and said: "It's not bad ground at all, there's nothing wrong with it. The team have done a great job." 

Brian Hughes won the opener on Speed DavisCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Read this next:

Curragh and Uttoxeter to inspect on Saturday as ITV confirms new schedule 

Do you want £700+ of free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.