'Thankfully the long trip paid off' - Reign Suepreme justifies 11-hour round journey with first win

An eleven-hour round trip proved worthwhile for trainer Nikki Evans when Reign Suepreme claimed his first success at the 16th attempt in the 3m3f handicap chase. 

The eight-year-old held off the late challenge of Lough Salt to strike under Shane Quinlan by a nose after making the long journey from Evans' stable in Monmouthshire.

"He always showed he had a good attitude and ran in some nice races when he first came over from Ireland," said Quinlan. "He competed in novice chases against Dusart and Flash Collonges but he's just gone downhill since entering handicaps. 

"He felt an awful lot better than when I rode him at Fontwell last month. He's a good jumper and stays well, so thankfully the long trip paid off."

Reign Suepreme was Quinlan's only ride on the card but he was not the only one bearing his surname to enter the winner's enclosure as Sean Quinlan was successful on Zwicky in the 2m4f handicap hurdle. 

However, the jockey was denied a double in the feature 2m1f handicap chase after odds-on favourite Restandbethankful was beaten by the Danny Brooke-trained Rocco Storm. 

Karloss (left) claims success on his debut for Sam DrinkwaterCredit: John Grossick

Maiden win

Karloss justified market support when gaining a first success in the 2m1f handicap hurdle on his debut for Sam Drinkwater. 

The six-year-old, who moved from Charles Byrnes's yard this year having been well beaten in five starts at triple-figure odds for two other trainers in Ireland, was backed into 4-1 (from 12) and scored by a length and three-quarters under Robbie Dunne.

Sign up here. New customer offer. Place a minimum £5 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of minimum 1/2 (1.5) and get £20 in free bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.