Numitor strikes for Bowen at Haydock

Jockey secured a valuable double.

Numitor stayed on strongly to record a decisive success in the valuable Unibet Middle Distance Veterans’ Handicap Chase Finale at Haydock.

Sean Bowen was always travelling strongly on Heather Main’s 10-year-old in the GBP 100,000 contest and sent him on past long-time front-runner Riders Onthe Storm entering the home straight.

A couple of sketchy jumps at the next two fences allowed the chasing pack to close in, but the 100-30 favourite got his act together over the last couple of obstacles and galloped clear to beat Dubai Days by five lengths.

Numitor only recently returned to action after a 340-day lay-off, when finishing fourth at Exeter under Bowen’s brother James.

Championship chaser Bowen told Racing TV: “One thing he did benefit from is that James didn’t knock him around once he was beaten (first time out), he didn’t use his whip once and I think that’s probably been a massive contribution towards winning here.

“James said to keep sending him, but every time I sent him, he put down. But he was a good old spin.

“He’s actually not in love with that ground now and I think that on better ground, you probably can send him from anywhere – he’ll keep coming for you.

“But today, on that ground, he’s probably not in love with it – but he’s a tough horse and keeps going through anything.”

Bowen was also in the saddle as Secret Trix plugged on to get the better of Doughmore Bay in an attritional finish to the New Racing TV App Challenger Stayers Hurdle Series Final Handicap Hurdle.

It was a fourth win of the season for Olly Murphy’s gelding, all gained under the title-chasing jockey, as he prevailed by a length and a quarter at 11-1 following a winter lay-off since the end of October.

Bowen said: “He felt a lot better horse today, he obviously benefited from the break massively. At every point today, I thought I was going to win, apart from when he started pulling up half a furlong from home.

“I was going well turning in and I didn’t really want him to wing three out and two out, as he doesn’t do a whole pile in front, although he was a bit slower than I thought he might be at them. But he went round like the best horse in the race, to be fair.”

Brentford Hope defied top weight in the My Pension Expert Challenger Two Mile Hurdle Series Final Handicap Hurdle, holding off the late challenge of Holly, who could never quite recover from a mistake at the final flight.

Harry Derham’s seven-year-old had won well in a qualifier at Newcastle earlier this month and was sent off the 5-2 market leader under Paul O’Brien, despite carrying 12st.

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