Reed bows out in style

Tim Reed had a fairytail and emotional ending to his riding career when Kerry Lads ran out a convincing winner of the appropriately named Hadrians Wall Novices` Chase at Carlisle today.

Kerry Lads jumped to the front at the fifth last, and with none of his rivals able to mount a serious enough challenge to spoil the party, the Lucinda Russell-trained gelding stayed on stoutly up the hill to beat The Grey Dyer by 11 lengths.

Reed, who has ridden around 230 winners, is based in the shadow of Hadrians Wall at Moss Kennels Farm near Haydon Bridge, and having received a great reception from racegoers on his return to the winner`s enclosure he said: 'There are tears in my eyes I am afraid, I am a grown man after all!

'But it is great that my family is here, my wife Emma, daughter Leila, 9, and son Harry, 5, my mother Gillian who has come racing for the first time for six years, and my father George.'

Reed, who was given a great send off by his weighing room colleagues, has unfortunately been plagued by weight problems for some time, but having run a successful livery yard for some years and having other business interests to attend to, he went on: 'I looked at the runners for today`s race yesterday morning and I decided this would be my last ride.

'It is fantastic to go out on a winner and from the first day I sat on Kerrys Lad I said he was a class horse, he made just one mistake today when I let him guess - he is not a guesser - and he has done it really well for me.'

But he added with a grin: 'I did say I would take a licence out again to ride him at Cheltenham'!