A PACKED festive crowd witnessed some fine racing at yesterday's traditional Boxing Day meeting at Market Rasen.
Feature race was the £6,400 Clugston Lincolnshire National Handicap Chase, with seven runners going to post in the testing three mile, three furlong stayers marathon.
Local interest was centred on Brigg trainer Nick Kent's Around a Pound.
The stamina-sapping conditions proved too much in the end for the nine-year-old and he was well distant when the impressive Carli King passed the winning post.
Trained by Caroline Bailey, the winner was given a cracking ride by Adam Pogson in the saddle.
It was the first time Carli King (11/2) had raced over three miles.
Petit Ecuyer, a 20/1 shot, was second without being able to mount a real challenge.
There was some local money in the next race, the fifth on the card, for The Society Man – who always seems to run gallantly at his local track.
It seems trainer and Grimsby Town director Michael Chapman only has to bring him across Willingham Road from his Woodland Stables for him to find inspiration.
However, in the 'Happy 40th Birthday Chris Marriott Handicap Chase', he again left it late. For once, he only managed to finish in fourth, and out of the places.
He ran well for third earlier this month and Chapman then sent him to the splendour of Cheltenham, where he finished a creditable third under jockey Joe Cornwall.
Cornwall was on board again back at Market Rasen and, after looking spent rounding the final bend, he ran on well behind Chestnut Ben, an 8/1 shot, who had amateur rider Mr R Winks on board.
In truth, the winner was never really challenged after barely touching a twig on the way round.
Ten ran in the first race, a selling hurdle.
The 11/2 shot King's Road, with Joanna Mason on board, took the lead going to the final flight and soon went clear.
It's Oscar (3/1f) won the second race – the appropriately named 'Whatever the Weather Novices Handicap Hurdle' – by four and a half lengths, with Nick Kent's Ivans Back in third.
The latter is a bit erratic, but this was a positive effort from the nine-year old, who had Michael Lineham on board. He was certainly worth a place bet at 16/1.
Benevolent is now at Chris Bealby's yard but, despite recent promise, has something to do to match the form showed in his early career when he was an Irish Hurdle winner.
Tom Messenger was on board as the 7/1 shot defied some recent poor form for a one-and-a-quarter length win in the third race, the Garthwest Novices Limited Handicap Chase.
There was a local winner in the final race. Scamblesby trainer Steve Gollings saddled the six-year-old Make me a Fortune, who won here earlier in the month.
Still reasonably well in with the handicapper, he was sent off the 7/4 favourite and repeated that success.
