Chris Gordon hopes the future is bright for Diamond Hunter after seeing him pull off an upset in the Betfair-sponsored Newton Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock.
Gordon feels his winner is an embryonic chaser in the making, yet the six-year-old had enough in his locker to defeat the tenacious Masked Man, who had tried to make it all.
With his son Freddie in the saddle, Gordon cheered his 12-1 victory to a one-and-three-quarter victory, while even-money favorite Sticktotheplan finished a disappointing third.
“We acquired him in Ireland from John Costello and as he is six years old we thought we would let him take his chance. If he was four or five we would have just gone for a little starter somewhere,” said Gordon.
“Because he’s six he’s a lot more difficult. He’s pointing so we thought we could continue with it and it worked really well.
“I thought he would run a blinder, but I couldn’t see him winning, so it’s fantastic.
“It’s all about the hunting next year. Next year he should be a good hunter, so this is a bonus. We’ll have to think about where we go.”
He added: “The last time we came here we won the Swinton (with Our Champ) with Freddie, so it’s great to do it together.”
The long journey from Hampshire was made more than worthwhile for the Gordons with a quick double as David’s Well defied a lengthy absence in the Bet At Your Best With Betfair Handicap Chase.
From some angle he could be seen traveling ominously well, although Harry Derham’s Escapeandevade left him fighting for the win.
However, the 11-4 chance found enough on his first run for 11 months, to win by one and a half lengths.
Gordon said: “It’s still a long road ahead of us, so it’s nice to see it paying off.
“Freddie is now on the verge of losing his claim, so at least he’s doing it in races that are worth something.
“David’s Well had a little problem when he won his last race and the softer the better for him. I didn’t know if we’d had enough rain but it worked out really well.
“Maybe he’ll end up at Sandown one day, or we could look at Castleford in Wetherby next.”
The Gordons were denied a treble when their Andashan was blown away by Kabral Du Mathan in the Betfair Racing Podcasts Handicap Hurdle.
The second-placed Scottish Champion Hurdle had his first start for Dan Skelton after retiring from Paul Nicholls and made a mockery of a score of 140, winning by 12 lengths as the 6-5 favourite.
“I was hoping he would win. He did a really good job about three weeks ago which indicated he had a big engine, but so does his form last year,” Skelton said.
“We are fortunate to have inherited him and hopefully he will continue to progress as he embarks on the journey he is crying out for.
“I think I can go to the Relkeel (at Cheltenham) with him and then watch the Stayers’ Hurdle.
“I was optimistic that this might be his last handicap to see him in action, but you have to see it on the racecourse because that’s where it really counts.”
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