'You have to keep the faith' - huge relief for Richard Bandey as double ends winless run

Richard Bandey expressed his relief after a double on the card ended his run of three months without a winner.

The Hampshire-based trainer saddled Flintara to victory in the 3m2f mares' handicap hurdle before Wewillgowithplanb scored in the 2m2f handicap chase under Harry Bannister, who also celebrated a double.

It was a first victory since December 6 for Bandey, who said: "We've had a bit of a virus in the yard with the cold weather and nothing has really gone right.

"It's important you don't change things, you have to keep the faith and keep doing what you're doing, and it's paid dividends today.

"We've relied on probably the two trickiest horses in the yard to do it but they've both come up trumps."

Flintara provided Bandey with his last winner of 2022 and the trainer said he was thrilled with her progression after her 11-length success.

"I was really impressed with her and I think the step up in trip probably helped," he said. "She's won twice over two and a half miles but we could be a bit more patient today and she saw it out well.

"She's not the easiest at home but on her day she's quite a fun mare and I don't think a step up will affect her too much."

Momentum building

Riskintheground got off the mark at the eighth attempt as Dan Skelton and his team continued their red-hot form heading into next week's Cheltenham Festival.

Skelton recorded his fifth winner from the last five days when the son of Presenting cruised to success in the 2m5½f maiden hurdle.  

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