Martin trio take on Wessex mission There is a formidable Irish challenge in the Wessex Youth Trust Handicap Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday. Tony Martin saddles Quick Jack, Pyromaniac and bottom-weight Golden Spear, while Noel Meade is represented by Waxies Dargle. Waxies Dargle is one of four runners for leading owner JP McManus, along with Nicky Henderson's top-weight Hargam, his stable companion Consul De Thaix and the Paul Nicholls-trained Modus, who is the chosen mount of Barry Geraghty. Jolly's Cracked It and Sternrubin, who dead-heated for victory 12 months ago, are also among the 19 runners in an invariably competitive contest formerly known as The Ladbroke. Jolly's Cracked It has not been seen since but is set to make his comeback, while Sternrubin won over the course and distance again in October before finishing fifth in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham last month. Other contenders include Henderson's Brain Power, Dan Skelton's Meet The Legend and Who Dares Wins from Alan King's stable.
