'It's a massive weekend' - Dylan Johnston warms up for big rides in Wales with victory on Jersey St Leger winner at Huntingdon

Jersey St Leger winner No Worries followed up last month’s victory at Les Landes when successfully reverting to jumps in the second division of 2m3½f handicap hurdle.

Dylan Johnston had been unseated from the Neil Mulholland-trained ten-year-old on the Flat in Jersey in August, but he made it back-to-back victories on the veteran, who was recording his first success in Britain since November 2022.

“Neil thought that winning over in Jersey would have done him no harm and he went through the race and jumped like a horse who was confident,” Johnston told Racing TV.

Of his experience in Jersey, he said: “It’s obviously a bit more of a winnable race than the English one! It’s something I can say I’ve done.”

Johnston can also highlight an unbeaten record at the Cambridgeshire venue, with No Worries a third winner from as many rides at the track for the 5lb claimer.

The 22-year-old, who also rode a winner for Mulholland at Kelso on Sunday, is next in action at Chepstow on Friday, when he is booked to ride Vincenzo in the Grade 2 Persian War Novices’ Hurdle for Sam Thomas and Dai Walters.

“It’s a massive weekend, my first weekend riding all of Sam’s and Mr Walters’ horses,” he said. “I’ve [also] got Lump Sum at Ffos Las on Sunday in the Welsh Champion Hurdle.”

Repeat result

Ballintubber Boy landed the 3m1f handicap hurdle for the second year in a row.

The seven-year-old defied a 7lb higher mark to justify 3-1 favouritism under Sam Twiston-Davies for his father Nigel, whose Touchwoodexpress made a successful chase debut in the following race.

Rio rout

Retirement was a possibility for El Rio, who suffered from a heart fibrillation throughout last season before his reappearance in the feature 2m4f handicap chase.

However, Kim Bailey’s topweight rewarded the patience of the Rio Grandees ownership group when making virtually all under Ciaran Gethings to record his first win since an 11-length victory in an Ascot maiden hurdle in April last year.

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