Ludlow report: Timmy Murphy's fight to clear the racecourse doctor proved worthwhile when he guided Palua into the winner's enclosure at Ludlow yesterday.
After a crashing fall at Newbury 24 hours earlier, Murphy had to receive medical clearance to ride. His success seemed to have been wasted when star novice chaser Racing Demon was withdrawn on account of the ground. But Murphy showed all was well with a pillar-to-post success aboard the Emma Lavelle-trained Palua (7 to 1) in the Ludlow Club Handicap Chase.
"That is brilliant - this horse is my pride and joy," said the winning trainer. "The key to him is making the running. He ran really well in very soft ground at Sandown on Saturday and in this easier race we were hopeful that he could get to the front."
Bureaucrat was cruelly denied victory on his hurdling bow when crashing out at the final flight when clear in the second division of the Sunshine Maiden Hurdle.
Paddy Brennan's mount had travelled throughout and coasted past early leader Fabulous Jet before coming to grief, handing success to his tiring rival, who beat The Composer by three and a half lengths. Winning jockey Sam Thomas said: "We got a bit lucky, but they all count and he did well considering he took such a pull early on. He is learning all the time and hopefully he can come on from this and settle a bit better in the future."
The Save Ludlow Community Hospital Handicap Chase saw Lewes trainer Suzy Smith send out her first one-two. It was Boardroom Dancer, the longest-priced of the pair at 16 to 1, who denied stablemate Cool Song (6 to 1) under Daryl Jacob, riding for the last day with a 7lb claim.
The Concha Y Toro Wines Novices' Chase proved something of an anti-climax in the absence of Racing Demon, the race falling to odds-on favourite Taranis, who was completing a double for McCoy.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)