'They've settled him down and I love him to bits' - ex-plater lands £50,000 prize

Gary Robinson had the last laugh as Aggagio, the horse he was told he had paid too much for after buying him out of a seller "on a whim", landed a £50,000 hurdle on Saturday.

The Hampshire-based owner admitted he had just hoped to win a race with the five-year-old, who was scoring his seventh success since he bought him for £23,000 following his victory in a three-runner platers' contest at Goodwood in 2021 and sent him to Gary Moore.

Aggagio took the cavani.co.uk Challenger Two Mile Hurdle Series Final in good style under 5lb claimer Caoilin Quinn and Robinson said: "It's absolutely amazing. He's a dear horse, he's brought me loads of luck.

"I bought him out of a seller, it was a bit of a spur of the moment thing and everyone thought I'd paid too much. I just thought 'he's got his head in front today, let's hope he can do it for me.'

"But we've had him for 18 months, last year he won three times at Goodwood and he's now won seven in all for me."

Things did not start entirely smoothly, as Robinson recalled: "Aggagio's former trainer said he was a little bit troublesome and first time out for me he went to Plumpton and it took him three-quarters of an hour to get him back in the wagon to go home.

"But he's sorted himself out, they've settled him down at Gary's yard and I love him to bits."

Nor is Aggagio the only evidence of Robinson's Midas touch. "He's just the third horse I've had," the owner said. "I'm relatively lucky, I had a big win last year in the Goffs Million at the Curragh with Galeron." 

Aggagio was a beaten favourite at Fontwell last month and his owner said: "The ground was too heavy for him but today he was bottom weight with Caoilin claiming 5lb. He's a great little horse."

Quinn, who also claimed the 2m4f chase on Fazayte, won the Betfair Exchange Stayers' Handicap Hurdle here in November and said: "This seems to be my lucky place!"

However, he also was quick to praise the trainer's son and said: "All credit for this goes to Josh [Moore], he was adamant we should come up here with him today. He gave me my instructions, to pop him out and be very positive on him and it's worked."

Jack Tudor was reportedly "badly shaken" in a fall on Bashful Boy and taken to Aintree University Hospital for a check-up.  

Skelton strikes

Dan Skelton's patience paid off as he won the Staying Chase Final with Jeffery's Cross, who waited three and a half months for the chance to land a £50,000 race off bottom weight and a BHA mark of 112.

"It was obvious what we had to do when he was qualified for the race, I had to sit on my hands," the trainer said.

"It was a bit frustrating having a horse ready to go when the good ground started appearing and he could have been running but it's very important to be fresh with him. Decent ground suits him as well. It was a good pot to win with a horse of that rating."

Jeffery's Cross rewards Dan Skelton's patienceCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Maiden 50

Henry Brooke beat his previous best total of 48 winners in a season and reached a maiden half-century with a double on Golden Glance (mares' maiden hurdle) and Tiger Jet (Stayers Hurdle Final).

"It's nice to get it, I've missed it a couple of times," Brooke said. "The link-up with Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero has been good and it's my first season with Wilson Renwick as my agent and he's managed to keep everything happy and sweet. Big thanks to him."

Henry Brooke rode his 50th winner of the season on Tiger JetCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

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