Rebecca Menzies marks first trip to Downpatrick with two winners in long-term plan to surprise owner

Rebecca Menzies saddled a double from four runners on her first foray over jumps to Ireland including a special success with Edgewell, who justified 4-1 favouritism in the race sponsored by the trainer in honour of owner John Wade.

Having been out of luck on the trainer's Three Platoon and third-placed You Some Girl earlier on the card, Ross Chapman steered 11-4 favourite Boomslang to a commanding seven-length victory for Menzies in the 2m3½f beginners' chase. 

Half an hour later the Wade-owned Edgewell shed his maiden tag at the perfect moment when he powered clear in the 2m7½f Rebecca Menzies Racing 40 Winners and Counting for John Wade Handicap Chase.

The six-year-old was held up in rear by Chapman for much of the way but produced an enormous leap at the third-last, establishing a lead that stretched to 14 lengths at the line.

After the victory of Boomslang, owned by Wade's partner Maria Myco, Menzies told Racing TV: “I was told a few months ago that John and Maria would be coming over to meet a few friends at this meeting. I started to put together a few runners that might come and about a month ago I set the ball in motion.

“John didn’t know anything about it until two days ago. He saw it on the iPad, which kind of wrecked the surprise.”

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