Former smart young point-to-pointer Diamond Brig makes his handicap chase debut at Newcastle today.
The seven-year-old won a maiden, restricted and intermediate point-to-points for Wendy Hamilton's yard before capping his time in the sport with a hunters' chase victory in the Buccleuch Cup at Kelso. Bred by the Hamilton family, he was ridden on each occasion by Tom Hamilton, who is now working for Joseph O'Brien and riding plenty of winners in Ireland.
Following that Kelso victory in April last year Diamond Brig was sent to Goffs UK's Doncaster sales ring (pictured above) where he was knocked down for £80,000 to Highflyer Bloodstock on behalf of racehorse owner Trevor Hemmings. Today he reappears for trainer Nick Alexander, who says on his website, www.kinneston.com: "Diamond Brig was a talented point-to-pointer in his youth prior to winning the 2018 Buccleuch Cup by a wide margin. This forces him straight into handicap company under Rules, and whilst I think his mark is more than fair this will be a different game and he has a 605-day absence to overcome. Eight run and Brian Hughes rides at 1.10pm."
Pearce confirms Alnwick plan for Poli
Warwickshire trainer Nick Pearce has confirmed plans to run former top-class chaser Don Poli at Alnwick on Sunday.
The ten-year-old also holds an entry at Barbury Racecourse, but will head north for the men's open race where he will be ridden by Tristan Durrell.
Pearce, who trains two pointers alongside his role as an assistant trainer to Dan Skelton, said: "We'll travel up early Sunday morning – Dan's horses go to Newcastle and back in a day so we'll do the same.
"The horse is in good nick and seems happy. We train him and Workbench on their own, and do little bits of different work with them and we're just hoping that a change of scene will have done him good."
A top-class horse in his prime, Don Poli won the Gr.1 Lexus Chase at Leopardstown for trainer Willie Mullins in 2015, but he has not won since and was sent to Goffs UK's Aintree Sale in April where he was knocked down for £170,000 to owner Darren Yates. Two days later he ran in the Randox Health Grand National but finished last of 19 runners who completed the course, and was then pulled up at Punchestown.