YALA Enki was a well-backed favourite winner of the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton on Saturday, despite touching as big as 23/1 in running, though it certainly can be argued that the advantage he was gifted at the start made some difference.

Hindsight shows that his claiming jockey Charlie Deutsch must have been giving the horse a breather when the others closed right up on him, as Yala Enki’s time from three out was much faster than other hurdles on the card; he took off again, rather than his rivals stopping, in other words.