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Large Action to stay in training

TOP-CLASS hurdler Large Action will be back next season despite Saturday's second successive flop, Oliver Sherwood vowed yesterday…

Mon Apr 07 1997 - 01:00

TOP-CLASS hurdler Large Action will be back next season despite Saturday's second successive flop, Oliver Sherwood vowed yesterday.

The nine-year-old was pulled up after the second flight in last month's Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and was pulled up again in Saturday's Martell Aintree Hurdle.

His trainer said: "He won't run again this season but we will get him back for next season.

"He is not 100 per cent sound this morning but it is nothing serious and something totally different to what he suffered at Cheltenham.

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"Yesterday's race may just have come a bit quick for him and the problem may have been in his mind as he may have been saving himself.

"Hopefully it will have no long-term effect but I haven't given next season much thought as what happened at Aintree yesterday puts the whole thing in perspective."

Large Action won his first three starts this term and was sent off favourite for the Champion Hurdle, a race in which he finished third in 1994 and second the following year.

Meanwhile, Free House furthered his Kentucky Derby claims with victory in the Grade One Santa Anita Derby on Saturday. Hello, the former John Dunlop-trained colt, finished third.

Free House, a 7.3 to 1 shot on the Pari-mutuel, was described as still a "big kid" by trainer Paco Gonzalez.

Maktoum al Maktoum's Hollywood Derby winner Labeeb, off the course since last July, made a triumphant return with a half-length win in the Grade Two El Rincon Handicap on the same card.

Richard Hannon, paying a first visit to Beverley for 15 years, made his 440-mile round trip from East Everleigh in Wiltshire worthwhile on Saturday when Classy Cleo scored under Pat Eddery.

But Hannon and Eddery were out of luck when 2 to 1 favourite Brave Edge could finish only third to five-length winner Bolshoi in the feature East Riding Conditions Stakes.

Jack Berry's charge, ridden as usual by Emma O'Gorman, swept through from off the pace to collar trail-blazers Westcourt Magic and Ya Malak more than a furlong out and quickly turned the five-furlong dash into a procession.