Marcelrock makes winning start under Rules for Crawford County Armagh based trainer Ross Crawford sent out his fourth ever winner as Marcelrock made a successful Rules debut in the Plus 2 Print Remembering Tony Oakes MBE Maiden Hurdle at Downpatrick. Unplaced in both point-to-point starts, the five-year-old gelding took a significant step forward here on his first run on the track. Prominent throughout under Sam Ewing, Marcelrock closed on the leaders after two out, taking over in front between the final two flights. Pressing on after jumping the last, the eventual winner went on to post a four-and-a-quarter length success over Magical Sal. Ross Crawford said: "Absolutely delighted! Still very green and jumping got better the further he went. Sam gave him a great ride, but it didn't actually work out the way we had planned but that's why you have somebody with experience like Sam because you can go to Plan B and C. "I think he will only improve that horse. "He has probably been improving away all the time. He has always been fit enough but just mentally the penny is starting to drop. "Delighted for the owner, Niall Coburn, as he has had a bit of bad luck with horses with me - just with bits of injuries and accidents on schooling race days. He has persevered to be fair, and he has been rewarded today. Unfortunately, he couldn't make it, but delighted for him. "He ran the last day in Fairyhouse and it was good ground at the point-to-point. I thought he wanted bit better ground. Probably greenness caught him out a little bit. He was able to overcome that over the hurdles whereas the point-to-point fences he probably just couldn't get going. He was a bit cautious today but the further he went, the braver he got. "Hopefully he can maybe win another one." Quotes by Michael Graham.
