Purple Bay wins Wincanton Grade 2 Purple Bay created a minor surprise as he ran out a 16-1 winner of the StanJames.com Elite Hurdle at Wincanton. Trained by John Ferguson and ridden by Mikey Ennis, he came with a wet sail down the stands side to run out a clear winner after the favourite Irving took a crashing fall at the last when looking poised for victory. Former champion hurdler Rock On Ruby set a steady early pace with Bertimont in the front rank throughout, racing rather keenly before being allowed to really kick on from home at the second-last flight, but Purple Bay swept past for a four-length win. Bertimont kept on for second, with Rock On Ruby third, a further three-quarters of a length back. Ennis said: "I've still got a 100 per cent strike-rate for Bloomfields (the owners) and it was great to get aboard him again. He ran creditably at Galway and this was always the plan." Harry Fry said of Rock On Ruby: "I wanted to get him out and Noel (Fehily) said that was a good performance from him in that ground", while Paul Nicholls said Irving was "just winded".
