Trainer Deborah Cole was left “absolutely amazed” after Hauraki Gulf secured her first winner under Rules in more than 20 years when springing what she described as a miracle in the Davis Site Security Open National Hunt Flat Race at Warwick.
Since saddling her last winner 7,435 days ago the handler, who is based not far from Warwick at Knowle, has spent time working as a hotel manager and a chef ahead of returning to her former role as a licensed racehorse trainer.
Despite being sent off a 50/1 chance, the Kayf Tara gelding defied his double-figure odds when forging through late on under conditional jockey Gearoid Harney in the two-mile prize to score by length and a quarter.
Cole said: “It’s my first winner in 20 years. I’ve always had a few point to point horses of my own during that time which kept winning. I’ve done all sorts in the meantime including being a hotel manager and a chef.
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“I trained a while ago and used to train a lot of point to point winners. I had my license for three or four years. It was just personal relationships that made me decide to stop training at that point.
“I just missed racing so much I thought you know what, let’s go again. For that horse to win is a miracle. I’m absolutely amazed.
“I had stopped looking at the furlong pole as I thought how has this happened? On his breeding we knew he would want the soft ground. We thought right he has got to go as he is six and after January 1 he can’t run in bumpers.
“We are in Knowle near Solihull so we are only twenty minutes away and we will be coming back again.”
The victory was also a first under rules for triumphant for winning rider Gearoid Hearney, who admitted it had been a “long road” to reach this moment.
He said: “I definitely don’t regret moving to Britain. I moved over last February and it has been a long road but I’m delighted to do it now.
“We thought the horse might need a run to educate him a bit. I’d say he will improve for going further as early on I was flat to the boards but he kept galloping and he has a great attitude. He is definitely one to look forward to.”
Lucy Wadham is yet to train a winner at the Cheltenham Festival but she already has the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the meeting on the agenda for
Owner Fran Marriott admitted to being “nervous” at taking on the geldings with mare Glimpse Of Gala, but she was all smiles after the home bred five year old showed plenty of heart to land the Alpha Boilers Handicap Hurdle.
Looking booked for second the Charlie Longsdon trained 14/1 chance took full advantage of the final flight fall of likely looking winner Jet Plane before getting the better of Jaytee by two and a half lengths.
Marriott, who is part of winning syndicate The Tweed Clad Fossils, said: “I was bit nervous taking on all these big geldings as she is not very big but she is just so brave and she really tries.
“We were a bit lucky when Jet Plane fell but we were also lucky in another sense as she nearly got brought down as a result.
“It definitely means more when you win with a homebred as you have been with them born all the way through. It is amazing and it is great to have a lot of friends here as well.”