February runners catch up

A few recent runners from mid-end February to catch up on, so in reverse chronological order.

Monday at Ayr started in a fairly bright note with Callum's home-bred mare Bollin Matilda making a quite pleasing hurdling debut in the opening maiden hurdle over 2m 3½f.
This seemed a fairly good maiden beforehand and the first 3 looks fairly useful hurdlers with scope to progress. 'Matilda' acquitted herself well, soon settling into a nice stride in rear and putting in some excellent jumps. She was actually making some nice headway under tender handling by Craig down the back straight but was hampered by a faller jumping 4 out.
However, she showed a nice attitude by keeping on again and putting in further good leaps in the home straight to finish about 20 lengths adrift in 7th.
The type to be suited by mares' only handicaps although maybe a novice depending on how she progresses.

Things didn't go quite so well for the yard later in the day with So Many Roads falling early on in the 2½ mile handicap hurdle. This was a qualifier for the Go North Can On Target Series final at Kelso on 25th March but it remains to be seen if that remains a possibility as he was a bit stiff when pulled out the next morning, so a period of box rest may well be in order.
Craig is fine in general too, but much like 'Andy', he was a bit shaken by the fall and faces a couple of days on the sidelines. Get well soon both.
And to cap all that, he's gone up 3lb in the handicap........

Ron & Eileen Smith's own-bred mare Ellistrin Star actually had a couple of outings in February, a run at Newcastle last Saturday following on from a Kelso novice hurdle both at around 2½ miles. A sweet filly, she's done enough to obtain a handicap mark (OR62) but she didn't show much in either event.

The mid February meeting at Ayr was a bit more encouraging for the yard when both Nights In Venice and Maid Of Houxty showed a return to form with a couple of placed efforts.

Nights In Venice finished 3rd in his handicap hurdle over an extended 3 miles on 14th February. We probably ran him too soon at Wetherby last time so it was a bit of relief to see him put in probably his best run of the season here beaten about 7 lengths. The easy winner, Lucinda' s Apple Away looks too classy for this grade, but our lad only gave way to 2nd place on the run in and there was a long way back to the 4th.
We still have visions (dreams?) of Nights In Venice picking up a race before the season's out and he remains an exciting sort to go chasing with ....soon.

Maid Of Houxty finished 3rd in her 3 mile handicap chase, not beaten far. She looked to be a bit outpaced early, and Henry (Brooke) wisely chose to bide his time with the mare, making his effort at the end of the back straight. She looked to threaten the leader for a spell but was unable to quicken over the last. She probably needs a bit more give in the ground to be seen at her best but a fine run nonetheless.