Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase report and replay

Sunday's main event at the Cumbria track featured just four runners after the defection of Grey Dawning and the grey horse who did stand his ground, trained by David Killahena and Graeme McPherson, in the end proved too strong for 11/8 market leader Colonel Harry.

Traprain Law and Top Of The Bill took them along very early on but Jamie Snowden's Colonel Harry was brought through to lead by Gavin Sheehan after jumping the third fence and, after briefly being headed by Traprain Law, was back in front coming to the second-last fence.

He was best away from that obstacle but Traprain Law and Colonel Harry softening each other up from a long way out allowed Kielan Woods to ghost into it on Marble Sands, and a good jump at the last fence propelled him into a narrow advantage.

Marble Sands was kept up to his work on the run-in, pulling nicely clear as Colonel Harry emptied out on his first run of the season, and ultimately had three and three-quarters in hand, with a further two and a half back to Traprain Law (9/2) in third.

“I’m absolutely delighted, we’ve had the race in mind for a good while for him,” said McPherson.

“The conditions looked perfect, he obviously won a couple last year but he didn’t carry a penalty, he was going to go there off a nice weight.

“The trip looked spot on, the ground is always a worry at this time of year but the last dry couple of weeks made it perfect.

“The stars aligned for him and it was a great place to start a second season of chasing.

“He is so consistent, he’s run in a few graded races but if you take those out of the mix, he’s barely been out of the top three for the past four years. He tries his heart out, he’s a dream to train and I just wish I had a yard full of them.

“I bought him as a three-year-old at the stores sales and just fell in love with him, I’m so pleased he’s turned out to be the horse he is.”

As for next steps, the co-trainer added: “It really only is pencilled in, but there’s the Rehearsal Chase at the end of November up at Newcastle.

“We’ve always thought he’ll get further, he’ll get the best part of three miles but he doesn’t like it very soft, so if it did get that way we’d have to think again.”

There was another Listed event on the card in the Houghton Mares’ Chase, which was won by Lucy Wadham’s Terresita at 5/1 under Gavin Sheehan after the duo took the scalp of 6/4 favourite Galia Des Liteaux.

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