Liam Swagger scores Listed success for the Aidan O'Brien of the British juvenile hurdle scene on a grey day for Skelton

James Owen is the Aidan O'Brien of the British three-year-old hurdle scene at the moment so it was no surprise he should land the first Listed event of the season.

The man who has enjoyed success with the promising Opec, East India Doc, Ambiente Amigo and Rogue King this autumn made it eight juvenile victories in 2024-25 when Liam Swagger took the Weatherbys-sponsored Wensleydale Hurdle.

The Gredley family's 11-8 favourite, a Market Rasen winner last month, took the lead with a good jump at the final flight and battled home by a neck, earning a 50-1 quote for the Triumph Hurdle from Paddy Power.

"James and the Gredleys have a lovely group of juveniles," said jockey Sam Twiston-Davies. "The work the team, led by Alex Chadwick, do schooling them all is fantastic. It makes a jockey's life very easy. I'm the spoilt one who's been steering a lot of them!

"Liam Swagger enjoys his jumping and he relaxed better today than he did last time.

"His only mistake was the last down the back but he was fantastic three down and two down and very brave at the last. It was good to get his head in front again, he'll have learned a lot more and I hope he'll keep progressing."

Grey day for Skelton

It was an anti-climactic afternoon for Dan Skelton, who withdrew Charlie Hall Chase hope Grey Dawning and some others from the two-day meeting due to the ground, and whose 1-3 favourite Kart D'Estruval had a suspect breathing issue when last of six finishers in the novice hurdle.

Second favourite I Play County was pulled up with an irregular heartbeat and victory went to 33-1 shot Telemetry, followed home by Express Run (22-1) and Lathan (18-1) in a race that played a large part in the Placepot dividend of £13,168.50 to a £1 stake.

But winning owner/breeder Philip Tyler had not taken those odds and said: "I'm not a betting man, I just enjoy the breeding side.

"He ran very well when he was second in a bumper here last year and we've always thought he had a lot of potential. He's a bigger type and it's taken time for him to get used to jumping hurdles, we haven't rushed him, we're not in it to pressurise horses, we just want them to go nicely and develop and he's doing that really well."

Telemetry did not return to the winner's enclosure, but jockey Joe Williamson said: "I think he's fine, he just over-reached and pulled up a little bit jarry so they've taken him back just to make sure."

But Williamson was judged by the stewards not to have dismounted a horse when it appeared to have gone lame and suspended for ten days.

Cadell cleans up

Skelton's withdrawal of smart mare West Balboa made things more straightforward for Cadell, who took the novice chase by 15 lengths under Derek Fox.

Michael Scudamore, who is soon to join Lucinda Russell on the training licence, said: "He won two point-to-points and this was always going to be his game.

"You just dream that he'll eventually turn into a Scottish Grand National type, he likes good ground and stays very well. We're a long way off things like that but they have to be in the back of your mind, you can dream."

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'I felt terrible, I was responsible' - Harry Cobden's support helps cut a ban for Sam Twiston-Davies 

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