By Peter Moore at Fontwell Park 10th December 2024
Henrietta Knight enjoyed her first jump winner since returning to the sport when Motazzen took the final race of the day at Fontwell on Tuesday afternoon.
Knight, who announced her intentions to return to training last November after retiring from the sport in 2012, recently had her first flat winner of 2024 in Cotswold Cottage at Windsor on the 14th October, has had to wait 3,544 days before that elusive jump winner.
The Wantage trainer had a beaming smile in the winners enclosure are seeing her six-year-old gelding get the better of Soldier’s Leap by five lengths in the 2m one and a half furlong handicap hurdle.
There was a big shock in the opener when the odds on shot Malinka was a beaten horse a long way out.
The race went to the 25-1 shot Vorderman despite a blunder at the last, the Roger Teal trained juvenile three-year-old went on to win by half a length on his debut over hurdles after previously showing very little form in two bumpers.
Local trainers Gary & Josh Moore Sent just one horse down to Fontwell with Hudson De Grugy prevailing in the 2m 3 and a half furlong handicap chase with exciting claimer Freddie Mitchell aboard.
Hollygrove Cha Cha made it four wins in a row to continue her unbeaten record by running out an easy winner of the mares novice hurdle by seven lengths under Gavin Sheehan for Jamie Snowden, with Sheehan riding his 9th winner in the last 14 days with an impressive strike rate of 23%.