Hands-on owner gets the credit as Peter Niven enjoys birthday winner

It would be fair to say that Garry Lavery is a hands-on owner. A good job he is too, according to trainer Peter Niven, who deflected the praise for Bruno’s Gold winning the amateur riders’ handicap on to the horse’s owner.

“He's been off a year and Garry Lavery, who owns him, does all the work with him,” Niven said. “He rides him out every day at home and has done a marvellous job with him.”

As well as the owner, Niven, who was celebrating his 60th birthday on Wednesday, also credited winning rider Jack Nicholls, the son of trainer Adrian Nicholls, as playing a vital role in the victory.

“He's Trotter's son, we'd seen him ride a few winners and he gave him a very accomplished ride,” Niven said. “He can be a keen horse, but he got him switched off.”

The race was also featured the first time brothers William and Thomas Easterby, and their sister Emily Roberts, had ridden against each other on a racecourse. Thomas came out on top as he took second place on Highwaygrey, ahead of Emily on Just Hiss (fourth) and William on Burglar's Dream (fifth).

Godsend rallies to triumph again

Godsend scored for the third time in a row – and for the fourth time in five runs – when rallying to win the 2m1f handicap under jockey Luke Morris for trainer Sir Mark Prescott.

Morris said: “He's a horse that clearly stays well and a gorgeous, big, imposing horse. You'd like to think he could develop into a better four-year-old stayer. Hopefully there are going to be some big days in him in the future.

“He's been busy, I'm sure Sir Mark has got a plan but I guess at some stage he'll probably need a little breather.”

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