Weld takes long road into the record book

A new quiz question went into the formbooks here yesterday, when the admirable gelding Hot Weld became the first horse to win two of the most valuable and most gruelling end-of-season marathon handicap chases. Just seven days after taking the Scottish National at Ayr, the Ferdy Murphy-trained eight-year-old added the Betfred Gold Cup.

The horse is no champion in terms of ratings, but his performance in beating the 9-4 favourite Reveillez three lengths so soon after his exertions in Scotland, with the associated travelling from Murphy's Middleham base, is testament to his durability and enthusiasm.

And after yesterday, his jockey Graham Lee must surely have some sympathy with Solomon Grundy, though happily with a more upbeat ending than the eponymous subject of the nursery rhyme.

Second on Saturday, when he chased home Hot Weld, then ridden by Paddy McDonald, in the Scottish race on the stable first string Nine De Sivola. Crunched on Tuesday, when he injured an arm in a horror fall at Punchestown that almost killed his mount Aces Four. Victorious on Thursday, on high-class novice chaser Another Promise at the Irish track, and unsighted on Friday, pulling up twice at Perth.

"It's an up-and-down sort of job I do," he said, with some considerable understatement, "and the week I've had just proves it." Hot Weld, a 6-1 shot, crowned not only Lee's week, but his whole season, his first as first jockey with Murphy after losing the same position at another powerful northern yard, that of Howard Johnson.

One stable's loss, though, has been another's considerable gain. Lee's ride yesterday was a mas-terclass in consideration, judgement, strength and insistence. Hot Weld's long suit is stamina and he is best when grinding down his rivals from the front. After he lost his lead to Zabenz on the first circuit, labouring after a mistake, his supporters might have acknowledged a bridge too far. But by then Lee, riding the rugged bay for the first time, had learned enough to know that the horse had more to give. Three or four sharp smacks on the uphill climb produced something of a turbo boost.

"He was deliberate at his fences to start with, but then he was entitled to be after the race at Ayr," said Lee. "And then he got shuffled back after that mistake. I gave him the benefit of the doubt early, let him fiddle his fences. But then it was time to buck his ideas up, and I gave him a wake-up call." At the last of the 24 fences, Hot Weld's closest challenger Zabenz blundered his chance away and it was left to Reveillez and Tony McCoy to fill the minor berth, with My Will (11-1) six lengths third and Jack High (20-1) fourth.

"Once his head was in front again his guts kept him there," added Lee. "It was a tremendous effort from him so soon after Ayr. But it was also a tremendous training performance."

Step forward Murphy. "It was a huge ask for a youngish horse after the Scottish National," he said, "but he's not had much mileage and by Monday he was up for it again.

"He'd had sessions in the solarium and in the spa on Saturday evening and twice on the Sunday, and that did him the world of good. You're never really sure until you put them out there on the track again, but the signs were good, and he's a horse who comes good in the spring on fast ground."

Entirely appropriately, Hot Weld carries the colours of Simon Hubbard Rodwell, grandson of Murphy's late mentor Geoff Hubbard.

There was a win on the last day of the jump season for champion trainer Paul Nicholls, with Oslot in the opening hurdle race, but McCoy, champion jockey for the 12th time, had to settle for victory in the novelty finale race against Flat jockeys, and leading owner JP McManus came to sign-off success.

And as the "i"s were dotted and the "t"s crossed on the obstacles campaign, the Flat season continued its building momentum with another punctuation mark on the road to Epsom in June. In the 10- furlong Classic Trial, Regime emerged as a possible successor to 2005 Derby winner Motivator in the Michael Bell yard.

BETS OF THE DAY

Best shortshot

Graceful Steps (4.55) got off the mark on her handicap debut over a mile eight days ago and can build on that over today's step up in trip.

Best longshot

Giovanni d'Oro (3.15) cost 270,000 guineas as a yearling and has earned zero to date, but might scrape a place in an awful race.

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