'We’re delighted' - Harry Fry pleased with Will I Know's maiden success

Sunday: Exeter

How Will I Know took the 2m2½f maiden hurdle under Lorcan Murtagh to break his maiden at the fourth attempt to give trainer Harry Fry a winning start to 2023.

The six-year-old travelled like the winner throughout, with plenty of his rivals struggling in the testing conditions. Despite showing some greenness when hitting the front, Murtagh kept him up to his work and he did enough to get home by five and a half lengths.

Fry said: “We’re delighted. He built on his hurdles debut at the track about a month ago. It’s good to see him progress and he handled the conditions well.

"He’s EBF-qualified now and that’s possibly a race we’ll work towards in March.”

Hat-trick hero

Hugos New Horse brought up a hat-trick for Paul Nicholls when battling hard to take the 2m½f novice hurdle by half a length under Freddie Gingell.

He did not have things all his own way on the front end and showed determination to evade fast-finishing Buckhorn Rocco, who pushed him stride for stride to the line.

One to watch

The Jane Williams-trained In Rem landed the 3m handicap chase under David Noonan, winning for the first time over fences.

The eight-year-old threatened the lead from three out, before powering away from his challengers up the hill. He took the last well and looked to have victory sewn up, before idling badly in front, meaning Noonan had to shake him up to cling on to victory by a neck.

Results, replays and analysis

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