Yanworth made to work hard at Ascot Yanworth was made to work hard to score on his reappearance in the Coral Hurdle at Ascot. Alan King's charge was second in the Neptune Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, and travelled well in the early stages. Garde La Victoire led for much of the Grade Two contest but Lil Rockerfeller, who had been off the bridle for a long way, took up the running and forced Barry Geraghty to get serious on the 4-5 favourite approaching the last. Lil Rockerfeller kept up the battle on the run-in but Yanworth was too strong, eventually prevailing by three-quarters of a length. Geraghty said: "I was never sure I was going to get past until I flew the last and he battled well from there. "He is very comfortable at that trip, but I just feel he would be more comfortable at a staying trip. "He needs to improve a lot for it on form to be with the best." King said: "It is a huge relief. He has not been on the grass and one or two of our proper jump horses in the last week or two have just been found out. "He has done a lot of work but there is a fair bit of improvement to come. "Just talking to AP (McCoy) and Barry he might well go up (in trip) and we could look at the Long Walk. "That was five minutes of hell. I thought he was held between the last two, but he has dug in. "He has not had much practice, as in his first four races over hurdles he had not come off the bridle. Physically he will come on for that."
