Gunsight Ridge returns to form with gutsy Sandown success

Gunsight Ridge thundered back to his best as Olly Murphy and owners Grahame and Diana Whateley enjoyed a double at Sandown on Saturday.

The 10-year-old has always been a more than handy performer on his day, but a late fall when staying on at Cheltenham in November left Murphy and his team clambering to restore confidence in their stable veteran.

Pulled-up at Kelso since, a return to Sandown – where he has some smart form figures – proved just the ticket, as he relished the deep conditions in Esher under a fine ride from Gavin Sheehan.

Sent off at 11-1, Gunsight Ridge returned a half-length verdict over the fast-finishing Dr T J Eckleburg, with 2-1 joint-favourites Etalon and Classic Maestro back in third and fourth.

Murphy said: “He’s always had ability and I have always thought he’d win a big handicap at Ascot or something, which he hasn’t done, but he’s been a good old horse and he loves heavy ground.

“Off his Cheltenham run, that wasn’t a surprise, but he just had a fright after Cheltenham the last day. We’ve done plenty of jumping with him and Laura Collett has seen him a bit.

“He’s tripless and he looks like he wants two-and-a-half the way he runs over two miles, then you run him over two-and-a-half and he looks like he doesn’t get home. But when he’s good, he can put in a good performance.”

Murphy had earlier saddled Diamonds For Luck (8-11 favourite) in the Whateley colours to follow up his December Wetherby win in the opening Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places Novices’ Hurdle.

The six-year-old, who is well-regarded by connections, could now have earnt himself a crack at a more valuable prize in the spring, having won in good style in the hands of Harry Cobden.

“He’s a nice horse and it didn’t surprise me he’s won a couple now, he’s been improving with each run and he’s handled the very soft well there,” continued Murphy.

“He got beat in his first two starts, which is sometimes disappointing, but doesn’t have to be the worst thing in the world and he has since won at Wetherby and then won well today.

“We can maybe look at a bigger spring target now and come back here for the £100,000 final on the last day of the season, or maybe the boys’ race at Aintree, he’s certainly a horse we think is good enough to run in those types of races.”

On the double, Murphy added: “The Whateleys are good supporters of mine and want to be winning on Saturdays, they’re nice horses and it’s been a good day.”

Favourite backers also had plenty to cheer when Venetia Williams’ Sole Solution (3-1) gamely followed up a recent win at Hereford in the Virgin Bet Daily Price Boosts Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

Meanwhile, Jonjo and AJ O’Neill’s Red Dirt Road (13-2) picked up the £56,270 on offer to the winner of the Virgin Bet Heroes Handicap Hurdle.

O’Neill said: “It’s a nice pot to win and it’s for great owners who are very patient and leave it to you – and they’ve got a nice horse.

“He loves really soft ground and Jonjo (O’Neill Jr, jockey) said riding him on that felt like what good ground would be like for some horses.

“They were all stacking up turning in but then when they stretched a little bit to the second last, there was only two of them really going with a chance.

“There’s a nice race for him at Uttoxeter (on Midlands Grand National Day) and it is worth a few bob, so it would be a shame to see it go to someone else.”