Jim Old saddled Bracey Run and Pete The Parson to record a 4 1/2 to one double at Towcester yesterday. Old admitted that Bracey Run's success in the Levy Board Santa Claus Novices' Hurdle had hardly contributed to paying for his forthcoming wedding.
After seeing the 7-4 chance beat Go Cahoots by three-quarters of a length in the hands of Carl Lewellyn, the trainer lamented: "The price was too short."
Old has no plans for Bracey Run, who sported the colours of George Ward's film processing operation Doubleprint, but said: "He's a real nice horse and he'll jump fences next year."
The Wroughton-based trainer wasted no time moving off the 13winner mark for the season when Pete The Parson, partnered by Mick Fitzgerald, strolled home by 13 lengths from Parliamentarian in the Christmas Cracker Handicap Chase, which was reduced to just three runners when Friendly Knight refused to race for the third time in six outings.
The stewards told Friendly Knight's new trainer Alex Johnson (nee Embiricos), for whom the horse was misbehaving for the first time, any future repetition could result in the seven-year-old being reported to the Jockey Club.
Hill Trix showed that at the age of 11 he is not too old to break the losing habit when winning the Ladbroke Mistletoe Handicap Chase.
Kevin Bishop's veteran was getting his head in front for the first time in 33 months.
Hill Trix, who returned at 10-1, shook off the threat of the favourite Boots Madden going to the second-last and galloped on resolutely under the stands' rail to beat General Tonic by 10 lengths.
Sparkling Cone made a winning debut for Venetia Williams on his chasing debut in the Dower Green Holly Novices' Chase.
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