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Harry best in Grade 2 novice at Cheltenham

Harry FryHarry Fry
© Healy Racing Photos

Unowhatimeanharry (11-10 favourite) completed a hat-trick with a gutsy triumph in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Final Nudge pushed Harry Fry's progressive seven-year-old all the way from two out but Unowhatimeanharry pulled out extra for Noel Fehily to land the Grade Two spoils by a length and a half.

Net Work Rouge set the pace to the second-last flight, where Fehily made what turned out to be a winning move on Unowhatimeanharry.

Fehily said: "He's not very big, but he's all heart. He's a grand little horse.

"I took a chance going hard down the inner and not many horses would chance that, they'd duck out, but he's so genuine.

"I was planning to take a lead for long enough, but I got a bit excited and got there too soon.

"Harry has placed him well and hopefully there'll be more success to come for the horse."

Fry said: "His form was there as he won a bumper first time out and although he was a maiden over hurdles when we got him some horses when they get their head in front get their confidence up.

"I'd never planned to run him in this race, it was only when it reopened on Tuesday that I put him in, as we were going to go to Wincanton on Boxing Day for a Pertemps qualifier.

"Obviously with him only being a novice we've got the option of mixing between novice and handicap company. We won't rule anything out at this stage, but at the same time we won't get carried away.

"We'll take it one race at a time and see where we end up."

He added: "Noel was a bit critical of himself, saying he got there too soon, but it was a brilliant ride, he nicked ground up the inside all the way round."

The winner runs for the Harry Fry Racing Club, and the trainer said: "He's now three from three for us having won here at the Paddy Power meeting, the Hennessy meeting and back here today. For a lot of them it's their first experience of owning a racehorse."