'We'll take the draw' - Nicky Richards and Nick Alexander runners dead-heat to share a sack of carrots

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Nicky Richards and Nick Alexander shared the spoils of a sack of carrots after their runners dead-heated in the second division of the 2000 Sack Of Carrots Handicap Hurdle.

Richards looked likely to complete a quickfire double after landing the first division when Abbey Scope notched his first hurdles win. He saddled the 2-1 favourite Thorneylands, who put up a persistent challenge under Danny McMenamin, but the Alexander-trained and Dominic Hislop-ridden Maillot Blanc held on to split the winners' prize-money and the vegetables.

Cumbria-based Richards has continued his fine run of form and is operating at a 50 per cent strike-rate in the past fortnight, with three of his six runners returning victorious.

"Funnily enough, I've had a horse who won only twice and they were both dead-heats," Richards told Racing TV. "I asked Danny when he was coming in and he couldn't say one way or another, but we'll take the draw."

Of his division one winner, he added: "Abbey Scope is also getting better and hopefully will keep improving through his life. He may be a chaser one day, but he's a nice handicap hurdler."

Hammond double

Micky Hammond enjoyed two winners on the card with a couple of 3-1 shots.

Jericoacoara landed his first victory since joining Hammond from Davide Satalia in France, and was clear approaching the last in the 2m6½f handicap hurdle under Joshua Thompson.

Singapore Trip completed a hat-trick in the 2m1f handicap chase with Alice Stevens in the saddle. She has now partnered him in all but one of his five wins in Britain.

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