COUNTY Wexford-born Martin Kelly teamed up with trainer Eric Musgrove last Sunday to land the Great Western Steeplechase over 3,600 metres at Coleraine’s annual jumps meeting aboard the aptly-named Lucky Chance.

It was the Grunt gelding’s fourth start over jumps, and his second over the larger fences. Quickly away, Lucky Chance led over the first fence and held that lead over the next 14.

Back onto the course proper, Kelly kept his mount switched on as the pair posted a three-length win. Second was Tommy Ryan aboard Raise The Note, with Steven Pateman and Saint Eustace claiming third.

“He shows a lot of ability,” said Musgrove. “I thought he was going to be right in the maiden chase at Warrnambool (14th June) but he lost his rider. I was quietly confident on Sunday. He’s a tough horse and looks to have a bright future.”

Earlier in the day, Kelly ran second in the first, going down by five lengths aboard the French-bred Highness to the Symon Wilde-trained Embezzler.

In flying form

Tommy Ryan bounced back from his defeat to claim a double in a pair of 1,300 metre high-weight flat races. For Shane Jackson, Ryan won on the odds-on favourite Aqua Storm before teaming up with Matt Cumani to win Thinking Sensation 40 minutes later.

The double comes just a week after Ryan landed the feature Steeple at Casterton, the A$80,000 Brendan Drechsler Hurdle over 3,400 metres aboard The Cunning Fox for trainer Patrick Payne.

It was a seventh win from eight jumps starts for The Cunning Fox, his only blemish was when failing to finish in last year’s Grand National Hurdle, a challenge he looks likely to revisit in next week’s 4,200 metre Grand National Hurdle (2nd August) at Sandown.

TRAINER Symon Wilde picked up a double at Coleraine on Sunday, bookending the meeting with Embezzler in the first, the Adam Lindsay Gordon Maiden Hurdle over 3,300 metres and saluting in the last with Sadler’s Symphony, a 2,250 metre high-weight.

Aboard for both was Dean Parker. Only in his stable since June, it was the six-year-old Embezzler’s first start over jumps for Wilde.

“We gave him two flat starts to have him ready. I thought he went to the line strongly on Sunday and he looks to have a bright future as a jumper,” said the trainer before reflecting on jumps racing in the Western District of Victoria.

“They’re wonderful days, great country race meetings with a wonderful atmosphere,” said Wilde. “It’s a shame Coleraine only have the one jumps meeting a year. Volunteers are the backbone of country racing and Casterton and Coleraine are lucky to have great volunteers there helping out at each meeting.”