There was a popular winner on the opening day of the Perth Festival when Sivola De Sivola landed the second division of the Aberdeen Asset Management Maiden Hurdle.
Part-owner Philip Nelson has a stand named after him at the Scottish venue and trainer Tom George admitted this race had been the plan. That fact was no secret, as he was sent off the 4-5 favourite and while it was not all plain sailing, Paddy Brennan just had to keep him up to his work to beat Lord Redsgirth by two and a quarter lengths.
"Philip has been a big supporter of Perth down the years and he`s been a big supporter of mine also. He always likes to have a winner up here so I had to plan this a while ago," said George. "He`s a very green horse but I was just hoping he had enough in the tank to cope and he`s done it well.
"He showed some very good form in the winter. Even when he ran at Cheltenham last time he was only beaten 20 lengths behind top-class horses. He`s a good work horse but he finds it all very easy and he plays a bit. He`s a horse we purposefully left as a novice for this season, next season three miles will be his thing."
George and Brennan later doubled up with Shake The Barley (7-1) in the Aberdeen Asset Managers Handicap Chase (for the Scottish Memories Challenge Cup).
The first division of the maiden hurdle went to Nigel Twiston-Davies` What A Warrior (5-2 favourite). Twiston-Davies has made a habit of plundering races at Perth in recent years and this was his only runner of the afternoon.
"We love it here and that is why we`re here every year," said Twiston-Davies. "He did it well. He`s run well in bumpers and we always knew he`d be better over hurdles and he proved it. I`m sure he`ll stay further in future but we`ll start at two-and-a-half (miles), we`ve got plenty of time to move up. "He'll be a chaser, he`s only young."
Lucinda Russell has always thought the world of Blenheim Brook and he produced a 9-1 surprise in the EBF Future Champions "National Hunt" Intermediate Hurdle. Victor Dartnall`s Mic`s Delight was sent off the even-money favourite but Peter Buchanan always looked to have his measure and eased to a 22-length win.
Plan A, fourth when sent off favourite for the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival, provided Gordon Elliott with his customary winner at the meeting in the Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer Handicap Hurdle.
Tony McCoy guided the 5-6 favourite to a three-quarter-length victory over Exotic Man and Elliott doubled up in the finale, the Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer Amateur Riders' Handicap Hurdle, when Oscar's Ballad (7-4 favourite) was guided to victory by the cool Jamie Codd in the colours made famous by Imperial Commander.
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