New trainer lands 100-1 shock winner with first runner under rules

It is not every day you see a 100-1 winner but for those rubbing their eyes in disbelief as Samuel Jackson stormed clear to win the 3m novice hurdle at Taunton, this was no fiction, pulp or otherwise.

The five-year-old pointing recruit was given little chance by bookmakers and punters on his racecourse debut facing more experienced rivals from some of the sport's biggest yards, with messrs Henderson, Nicholls, King and Fry lining up against a permit-holder having his first runner under rules.

Richard Mitford-Slade, 52, confirmed: “It’s my first runner under rules – I got my permit only 14 days ago. This is my local track so I thought I'd run him here in the hottest hurdle I could find!

"I had a little bit on, although I’m not a gambler. I knew he was a good horse but he was training only with point-to-pointers so I didn’t know how good. He’s class, isn’t he?

“I’ve always had point-to-pointers and thought it was time to run some under rules. The big question is what I do next with him. I’ll show my ignorance by saying I’ll have to go away and look in the programme book."

A farmer who runs an equestrian business, Mitford-Slade has four to run under rules but the next is not due out until the new year.

Sameul L Jackson: struck at Taunton - minus the 'L'

The five-year-old homebred winner is named after the famous actor, and Mitford-Slade said: “My wife is a fan. We tried to put the ‘L’ in but they wouldn’t let us have it.”

The gelding's breeder Lucy Fielding-Johnson said: "I can't talk, I was shouting for him, it was totally unexpected."

Jockey Micheal Nolan added: "This is a really nice horse. That's his first time under rules but he rode like a seasoned handicapper. He came from the pointing field so knew his job."

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