Derry Lad pops up at 14/1 in Pontefract Kevin Coleman's Derry Lad bagged a good pot when landing the Sky Bet Sunday Series Middle-Distance Handicap by half a length in Pontefract. The five-year-old gelding drifted out to 14/1, but was always doing enough to hold his rivals. This followed up on a 7/1 success by the same margin in another valuable handicap at Hamilton last month. Shane Gray did the steering on both occasions. There was another Irish success in Britain today as John McConnell's Champagnesocialist justified 8/11 favouritism in the extended 2m4f maiden hurdle at Hexham, in the hands of Sean Bowen.
