Change of scenery suits our Newbury winner Emitom

March 4

We go into today’s busy Saturday on a high, having celebrated two winners from three runners yesterday, one at Newbury and the other at Doncaster.

Alan confessed that he went to our local course not knowing what to expect from Emitom, who was having his first race for Barbury.

And, while Emitom had not been in the winner’s enclosure for three years, he had since been dropped 25lb by the handicapper and he never looked like getting beaten here.

Emitom was a decent horse with Warren Greatrix, winning six races and then finishing fourth in the 2020 Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

However, like many a horse before him, a change of scenery worked the oracle, and, reflecting on the performance, Alan said:”I went to Newbury thinking Emitom might win, or he might be pulled up. He had been working well at home and we had been delighted with him, and he looked to really enjoy himself out there.”

Tom Cannon, all smiles as he dismounted from his 60th winner of the season, said:”Emitom travelled really well and appeared well handicapped, but it was his first run for us, so we were just hoping for the best.

“He was loving it and was long at every hurdle bar one, and when I needed him to put the race to bed at the last he pinged it and stayed on strongly up the run-in.”

Alan then grabbed a spot by a television to watch Ernest Gray win on Town Moor, He settled much better than he has been doing and won well.

Sadly, Passing Reflection, having bowled along in front for much of the way, did not ‘read the script’ and make it 3-3 in the finale at Newbury, but maybe her sister, Pass The Love On, will restore family pride at Huntingdon tomorrow.