THE Worlds End regained the lead close home to land a dramatic victory in the Grade 1 Marsh Hurdle at Ascot.

L’Ami Serge looked as though he would make a winning comeback after 580 days off the track when he headed The Worlds End between the last two flights.

Tom George’s charge had led to that point, but a slow jump at that obstacle let in L’Ami Serge, who set sail for home in the extended three-mile showpiece, registered as the Long Walk Hurdle.

Switched by Adrian Heskin towards the centre of the course, The Worlds End (15/8 favourite) would not give up and managed to reel in the winner to score by two and three-quarter lengths.

It was a second Grade 1 triumph for The Worlds End and paid a compliment to Paisley Park, who had beaten him in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury last month.

The late withdrawal of Paisley Park due to the ground robbed the race of its star attraction, with Tobefair also an absentee, which left just four runners.

The Worlds End was cut to 2/1 from 25/1 with Betfair and Paddy Power for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

George said: “They steadied it up at the halfway stage to get a bit of company and Adrian said he was in front long enough. But once he asked, he said there was plenty there and he picked up really nicely.

“Once I saw him pick up, I thought he would be okay, but I didn’t feel very confident going to the last. Far from it. I thought, ‘second again’, but we would have been happy with that at this stage.

“I think we have had about 14 Grade 1s now – we didn’t have one last year, but we had three the season before. They are hard to come by and you’ve got to train them like Grade 1 horses and hope it all falls your way on the day, which it has.

“We will enjoy this before making a decision on where we go next.

“I’m delighted. He had a lot of problems towards the second part of last season, which we have sorted out over the summer. The runner-up I watched more than ours, and he has run a hell of a race, as he was very keen the whole way and probably just didn’t see out the trip.

“Maybe if someone had given us a lead, we would have found it easier as well. But at the end of the day we’re happy with the way it has gone. He can go over fences one day, but for now we will stick with what we’ve got.

“The other thing we might consider, later on in the year, is he might love Auteuil now he copes with the soft ground. That is something we will talk about in the spring.”

DOUR STAYER

Heskin said: “It is great to get a Grade 1 under his belt, because he is a very good horse. I know that might not have been the strongest of renewals, but he was due one.

“He did everything well during the race, but when he got passed by L’Ami Serge, he was never for beating. The second I got stuck into him he was always picking up. He just kept finding and is just a dour stayer.

“Tom has done a great job with him and the two girls who look after him, Charlie and Sarah. He takes plenty of minding and goes to a spa a couple of times of week and it’s great to get him back on track.

“It is fantastic to win a Grade 1 in these colours. I’m very lucky to be riding for the McNeill family. I’ve had a tough couple of years with injuries and things and they’ve stuck by me and it’s great that I’m able to repay them.

“I think this is the tip of the iceberg for them, as they have a great bunch of horses and I hope they are very successful.”

Earlier, Sam Twiston-Davies could not have been more bullish after jumping off Riders OnThe Storm, impressive winner of the Betfair Exchange Graduation Chase in very deep ground.

The meeting survived two morning inspections and was in the balance until the last moment, but racing fans and connections of the seven-length winner of the two-mile, five-furlong event could not have been more pleased.

Though the card was subject to the threat of abandonment on a “race-by-race” warning from clerk of the course Chris Stickels, trainer Nigel Twiston-Davis could not hide his delight at the way Riders OnThe Storm jumped, accounting for On The Blind Side and Paloma Blue, who was a further nine lengths away.

The jockey jumped off the 9/4 winner and effusively said to connections: “You have a really smart horse on your hands, and he jumped immaculately.”

His father – who was crestfallen last weekend when an administrative error meant his charge had to miss the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham – added: “He will go to the Ryanair. You have to think that way. He is too buzzy for Gold Cups, but I’m delighted with that. That was impressive, I think.

“The jumping was lovely and obviously the ground has come up lovely for him. But it was good ground at Aintree when he won last time and did it there well.

“He is definitely not ground dependent and I don’t think this deep ground would necessarily have helped him, because of the lack of pace. He dragged Sam to the front, and he could have done with something going a bit quicker. He obviously stays.

“He will run again beforehand, somewhere, but I don’t know where. I agree with what Sam said that he will win the Ryanair, but you can’t use the colourful language he used!”

The sponsors slashed Riders OnThe Storm to 12/1 (from 33/1) for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on March 12th.

No trainer is in better form than Venetia Williams, who is taking full advantage of the winter ground, and Espoir De Guye (11/4) gave her a 12th winner from her last 29 runners when romping away with the Plymouth Gin Handicap Chase in the hands of Charlie Deutsch.

The unexposed five-year-old was upped 9lbs for an emphatic Exeter success a fortnight ago and turned on the taps again, defying the rise in superb fashion to record a 10-length success from My Way.

Williams said: “I thought we had a perfectly reasonable last season. It was almost exclusively good ground. So, I thought we would kick that label into touch.

“I think the (easy) ground will be hanging on for a while now. I know they are inspecting and all the rest, but you can be confident that the horses will come back and trot up sound next day. When it is good ground, your heart is in your mouth all the time.

“I actually don’t run them on good ground, so they are never going to win on good ground because they never get the chance.

“This horse has the action for the mud, but quite a few of these five-year-olds, which quite often one would leave until they are six, plus the way the programme is and the way the handicapper is these days, I felt we had better crack on and that’s partly why we are making hay at the moment.

“This was step up from what he had done before, but it will be exciting having a little look as to where he will run next.”

Williams also had news on her King George VI Chase hope, Aso. She said: “The plan is to run. Charlie (Deutsch) will be there to ride him. I hardly ever have runners there these days, as usually it is so dry there. So, it needs to carry on raining.”

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