William Hill Rowland Meyrick Chase
Grade 3 Handicap, Wetherby 13:35
£50,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus,
3m 45y, Class 1  
Monday 26th December 2022

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1 Into Overdrive 4/1
2 Sounds Russian 13/2
3 Fanion D'Estruval 15/2
11 ran NR: Lostintranslation Distances: ½l, 8½l, 7l
Time: 6m 28.71s (slow by 24.71s)

Into Overdrive led home a Yorkshire one-two and made it a Boxing Day to remember for the Hamilton family.

The progressive horse, claiming his fifth victory in six outings, is owned and bred by Michael Hamilton, a clerk of the scales, and his wife Wendy, and was ridden to victory by their son, Jamie.

Trained by Mark Walford at Sheriff Hutton, bottom weight Into Overdrive held off the strong challenge of Malton handler Ruth Jefferson’s Sounds Russian under Callum Bewley, to win by half a length, with Venetia Williams’ Fanion D’Estruval a further eight lengths back in third.

"We were thinking of the Kim Muir but he may be out of that now," said winning trainer Mark Walford. "We may look at the Ultima at Cheltenham and the Sky Bet Chase is a possibility at Doncaster before that.

"We've talked about the Grand National but I'd like him to have had a run over those fences so possibly it could be next year."

Asked what winning the feature - in front of a crowd of 10,000 - meant to a local yard, Walford said: "This is what it's all about. This is great for everyone at home.

"Will Milburn, who led him up, does all the work with him at home and rides him out every day. He's done a superb job with him. I'm delighted for them all, and for the Hamiltons."

The 2019 winner of the Grade 3 race, Top Ville Ben, came home in fifth, while favourite Shan Blue was never travelling and was pulled up on the final circuit by jockey Sean Quinlan, who had a double on the card courtesy of Nell’s Bells (9-2) in the opening William Hill Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle and Rafferty’s Return (9-2) in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle.

Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase
£50,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m 45y, Class 1
11 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Soft in places

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1     Into Overdrive 7 10-11 Mark Walford Jamie Hamilton 4/1
2 ½ Sounds Russian 7 11-12 Ruth Jefferson Callum Bewley 13/2
3 8½ Fanion D'Estruval 7 12-0 Venetia Williams Miss Lucy Turner 15/2
4 7 Aye Right 9 11-11 Harriet Graham & Gary Rutherford Edward Austin 33/1
5 29 Top Ville Ben 10 10-13 Philip Kirby Thomas Dowson 18/1
6 19 Kalashnikov 9 11-10 Amy Murphy Jack Quinlan 20/1
7 23 Zanza 8 10-13 Philip Hobbs Micheal Nolan 14/1
FELL Chantry House 8 11-13 Nicky Henderson Robert Dunne 15/2
PU Windsor Avenue 10 10-12 Brian Ellison Nathan Moscrop 25/1
PU Shan Blue 8 11-3 Dan Skelton Sean Quinlan 5/2F
PU Sporting John 7 11-6 Philip Hobbs Richie McLernon 9/1
NR 8 Lostintranslation 10 11-2 Joe Tizzard NON RUNNER

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