'A lot of people wouldn’t have brought him home from the races' - Jesuitique lands Durham National for Newland and Insole

A year after suffering a life-threatening injury in the same race, Jesuitique completed his remarkable recovery when landing the Durham National.

The Richard Newland and Jamie Insole-trained nine-year-old finished third behind Tommie Beau in the feature 3m5f handicap chase 12 months ago but the same pair reversed those placings this time around.

After the son of Saint Des Saints denied the fast-finishing Jerrash by a neck, winning rider Charlie Hammond told Sky Sports Racing: “When he ran in this race last year he fractured his fetlock really badly. He was sound for 20 minutes after the race and then he went really lame. He went to the vets that evening to have it operated on. 

 “A lot of people wouldn’t have brought him home from the races.”

The 11-2 winner had finished a respectable fourth on his first start for 341 days last month and Hammond added: “ He had a nice run around Worcester and blew the cobwebs away.

“The owners have spent good money trying to keep him in once piece and sound. They’ve paid for the recovery, they’ve paid for the training fees and it’s paid off for them."

Jerrash’s rider Sean Bowen had earlier helped the Martin Keighley-trained Continuance make a successful debut over obstacles in the 2m1f juvenile hurdle.

Gift goes in

My Gift To You had made the frame on six of his last seven starts without success prior to the 3m2½f handicap chase and that consistency was rewarded when the six-year-old prevailed by three quarters of a length over Breakdance Kid for James Owen.

Stuart Coltherd, trainer of the runner-up, had taken the preceding 2m1f maiden hurdle with Will Knott.

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