O'Neill gets welcome winner Jonjo O'Neill finally broke free of his mid-winter lull as Rose Revived supplied him with his first winner since mid-November in the closing bumper at Ludlow. The Gold Cup- and Grand National-winning trainer had not tasted success since November 19 and while he has not had anywhere near the amount of runners usually associated with the yard for this time of year, it had still been a disconcerting period for his followers. After Kelvingrove was beaten as favourite at Taunton earlier in the day, O'Neill must have thought the wait was going to be extended but with the help of Tony McCoy he can now look forward with a bit more enthusiasm. It was not straightforward in the £210 Annual Membership Mares' Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race as the filly, second on her Newbury debut, proved wayward under the champion jockey and then had to move sharply close home to avoid a temporary rail, but they beat Nicky Henderson's Clemency in a photo. There was also a dramatic conclusion to the Annual Members Racing Excellence "Hands And Heels" Handicap Chase, for conditional and amateur riders. David Bridgwater's Bally Sands looked to have the race in the bag for Jake Launchbury, having just his fourth ride under Rules. However, he appeared set to go the wrong side of the final fence before Launchbury corrected his path very late, and nearly knocked over Petit Ecuyer, who had followed. Having lost momentum he had no answer when Martin Keighley's Always Bold (12-1) and Conor Smith jumped to the front with Kings Apollo second. There was a smart performance early on the card when Evan Williams' John Constable (6-1), formerly trained by Aidan O'Brien, won the Best Wishes For 2015 Juvenile Maiden Hurdle. John Ferguson's Swivel was an odds-on favourite but McCoy was one of the first under pressure and never looked likely to take a hand in the finish. The winner was given quotes of around 25-1 for the JCB Triumph Hurdle. Brandon Hill (9-2) continued his progression for fledgling trainer Tom Lacey with a win in the 1871 Handicap Hurdle.
