'That's cheered me up' - Kerry Lee enjoys double after Storm Control's near miss

Monday: Hereford

Despite feeling the effects of screaming home Storm Control when he finished a close second in Saturday’s Sky Bet Chase, Kerry Lee was supplied with the perfect tonic when bookending the card with a double.

Black Poppy provided favourite backers with a fright, trading at 16-1 in running after jumping the final flight in the opening 2m novice handicap hurdle, but the 5-6 shot was galvanised by Brendan Powell to edge out Just The Man and Brian Hughes by a neck.

"I can’t talk very much at all, I’m losing my voice," Lee told Sky Sports Racing. "It’s gone ever since Saturday and progressively vanished over the rest of the weekend but that’s cheered me up."

Of the winner, who was scoring over hurdles for the first time, Lee added: "He ran in a very high-quality race at Kempton last time out and I think that helped him settle.

"Next time we’ll go on a stiffer track, probably on softer ground and of course we’ll have to up him in grade."

Hellfire Princess – in the same Will Roseff colours as Storm Control –then took the mares’ bumper under an all-action Sam Twiston-Davies ride.

O'Neills on song

Jonjo O’Neill Jr. had not previously ridden a winner at Hereford but put that record to bed as he combined with his father Jonjo for a double.

Orrisdale, owned by Katharine Holland, struck in the 2m5f novice handicap chase before Prince Escalus made it third time lucky over fences in the feature 2m handicap chase.

O'Neill, who has now been successful with his last three runners, said: "That was definitely an overdue win for Orrisdale, who has been unlucky a few times over fences.

Jonjo O'Neill jr: rode his first winners at HerefordCredit: Mark Cranham

"Prince Escalus got his jumping together today and was very slick. He's definitely a horse that appreciates better ground so we'll keep going with him now through the spring and early part of the summer."

Results, replays and analysis

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