Earth King downs 1-5 favourite Buckhorn Rocco to make long trip worthwhile for Danny McMenamin

Danny McMenamin was riding at Sedgefield only on Thursday but popped up 392 miles away at Exeter to down the 1-5 favourite Buckhorn Rocco aboard Earth King on his only ride of the day.

The Penrith-based jockey made all the running on the smooth-travelling Earth King and favourite backers knew their fate as the field turned into the straight, with Buckhorn Rocco vigorously ridden before clouting the second-last to seal his fate.

"I've travelled and jumped well," McMenamin told Racing TV. "A four-runner race is always going to be tactical, but I knew my lad would keep going and was quite confident in making use of him. He'll be a chaser in time, no bother, he jumps well enough and is hopefully a horse going in the right direction."

McMenamin failed to score on his only ride of the day at Sedgefield, but he made no mistake 24 hours later on this Neil Mulholland-trained 4-1 shot, making the long drive home worthwhile.

"I've been a bit everywhere," he added. "I was at Sedgefield yesterday, I came sort of halfway to Exeter last night and did the rest this morning. It'll be about five and a half hours home, but you don't mind when you're getting a winner."

First success  

Sean O'Briain, famous for his partnership with Constitution Hill at Nicky Henderson's yard, rode his first winner under rules aboard the Anthony Honeyball-trained Midnight Callisto in the 2m½f mares' handicap hurdle.

It was the second leg of a quickfire double for Honeyball after Gustavian took the opening 3m novice handicap chase by 29 lengths under Sean Bowen.

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