Black Poppy (10-1) powered to victory in the Pertemps Network Swinton Handicap Hurdle for the culmination of a long-term plan at Haydock Park.
On the only mixed Jumps and Flat racing card in Britain Kerry Lee's seven-year-old landed victory in the prestigious handicap under Adam Wedge to help connections seal a a fine victory. Black Poppy, who had won three times over hurdles before including last month at Cheltenham, had had the Swinton Hurdle as a key spring target due to his liking for better ground. And the plan came off to perfection. Under Wedge, Black Poppy was sat in the pack off the pace set by Onemorefortheroad and Washington for much of the two-mile contest. Teddy Blue (17-2) took over the lead in the home straight but Black Poppy and Takeiteasy made it virtually three in a row coming over the final flight. It was Black Poppy who stayed on best after and he went on to win by a length-and-a-quarter from Teddy Blue with Takeiteasy two-and-a-half-lengths back in third with Lunar Sovereign (33-1) another two-and-a-quarter-lengths further adrift in fourth.
Trainer Kerry Lee was not at Haydock, instead on a mission to buy more horses for the Herefordshire-based stable. Her father Richard, who she took over the licence from in 2015, her brother Tom and the owners, West Coast Haulage Limited, were at the Merseyside track. Brother Tom, former Channel 4 racing presenter, was delighted to see their plan come to fruition. He said: "You can sum this up in one word: bullseye! That was the prize we wanted and the prize we got. He's a nice horse with the right profile and the right age and, crucially, patient owners.
"They have been amazing – if the conditions aren't right, they don't run and we wait. Today, everything came together. I walked the course at 7am on Thursday and it was wrong for one of our entries but perfect for this fellow. He wants proper spring good ground and credit to Kirkland Tellwright, Pablo Picasso couldn't have got his sketchpad and created better spring ground. Clerks have a hard time but what he's produced out there is stunning.
"This is a seven-year-old and he's only had 13 runs, he's now won five times. It's credit to his owners who have minded him and been amazingly patient. They have four with us."
Wedge added: "It's great for me to able to get the season off to a good start with a nice race like that. It's panned out pretty well for me to be fair, he's jumped the first couple a bit big. Kerry said he's been schooling fences at home, once he's got into his rhythm down the back he was very good, very quick. He's got me into the race nicely. They were keen to be a bit handier on a flat course today and it's all worked out very well."
Willaston (14-1) won the other main race over jumps, the Pertemps Network Long Distance Handicap Hurdle in good style. The Mark Walford-trained seven-year-old, who had won at Cheltenham last month, followed up with another fine success under jockey Jamie Hamilton. The 9-2 favourite Grozni cut out the early running in the three-mile contest but Donald McCain's Merry Poppins (14-1) took over on the turn for home, but she made a bad mistake three out and Willaston came through to challenge for the lead. Once he got to the front he ran on strongly for Hamilton and eventually scored by two-and-a-half-lengths from Bold Endeavour (13-2) with Merry Poppins (14-1) recovering to be third, three lengths adrift, with Party Business (16-1) six-and-a-half-lengths back in fourth.
Winning jockey Hamilton said: "It was my first winner at Cheltenham and Mark's (Walford) first winner at Cheltenham, so it was great to do that. I felt the last day he won cosily enough and I'm glad he's done that and came here and won again today. It looked a real competitive race on paper and if he had finished fifth or sixth he could have still run well. But we got a lovely run round. He jumped well and probably got there plenty soon enough. Once he got there I thought I would keep him going and he has done it well."
He added: "He has had one run over fences and it didn't really go to plan. But whilst he is winning over hurdles there is one or two nice pots planned. But he will probably jump a fence in time."
Trainer's father Tim Walford said of Willaston: "We were surprised at Cheltenham, we thought he might get a place there if we were lucky, but he finished like a train and I think this is what he wants – three miles on good ground. Jamie thinks he may be a Pertemps horse. In the long-term he's a chaser, I know he fell on his chasing debut but we can put that behind us. But what's the point at the moment when he can win hurdles like that?"
