Welcome win for Becky Smith as Ashington ends two-year drought

Ashington claimed a welcome first win in more than two years with victory in the valuable female jockeys' handicap hurdle under Becky Smith. 

The Mark Walford-trained nine-year-old had last won in March 2022 but finally bettered a series of placed efforts to the delight of his amateur jockey, who was winning the £24,650 contest for the first time. 

"There are a few races which have eluded me but thankfully this isn't one of them any more," Smith told Racing TV. "I was talking beforehand to Charlotte Jones and she said, 'I think I've run in this ten times, have many have you?' I said, 'A few more than that!' 

"I'm absolutely delighted. I rode the horse in this race last year when the ground was a bit softer and he still ran well, but he's off a lower mark this year and the ground's more suitable. Mark and the team have him in incredible form, he's been knocking on the door and I snapped up the chance to ride him."

Racing was delayed for an hour and a half following Ashington's victory due to the fall of Alice Procter, rider of Uggy Uggy Uggy. Procter was conscious after the fall but was airlifted to Preston Hospital for further assessment. 

Sword's winning blow

The wait for a win was also ended by the Leonard Kerr-trained Sword Of Fate, who got the better of his younger rivals to win on his 84th career start in the 2m1½f handicap chase. 

The 11-year-old prevailed under Derek Fox to win for the first time since last August, marking his 14th success overall. 

Read more:

'She's not your typical mare' - Gale Mahler bound for Galway after completing fabulous five-timer 

'I'm not sure any of us expected her to win like that' - You Got To Me gives Ralph Beckett second Irish Classic 

'He's a smashing horse, he does have a gear' - Iron Lion impresses in feature victory 

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