Saint Davy making up for lost time

Saint Davy (6/5) provided the Top 40 Prospects with its first winner of 2024 at Ludlow on Friday. The seven year old was due to make his chasing debut at Leicester at the end of December but the fixture was abandoned and Jonjo O'Neill's runner reverted to the smaller obstacles here on his handicap debut. Defying an absence of 266 days and a rating of 124, he justified strong market support getting the better of the more experienced Emitom late on. The Balko gelding travelled smoothly for much of the contest until making a mistake at the last. Regaining his momenutum, he led close home to register a length and a half win with nearly 30 lengths back to third. All being well, the former Irish pointer will have a clear run between now and the spring and contest a valuable handicap hurdle next month.