No luck for Irish trainers in the UK Stuart Crawford was out of luck with his four-horse raid on Sedgefield. The best the Antrim handler could muster was a second place with 6-1 chance Lucky Buttons in the Windpower Energy Resources Mares' "National Hunt" Maiden Hurdle. And that horse, ridden by 3lb claimer Craig Nicholl, was his second string to Knocklayde Sno Cat, but the 7-2 shot was back in fourth as 11-10 favourite Knocklayde Express struck for trainer Kim Bailey. The third Irish representative in that race, Mark McNiff's Megamike, was fifth. Crawford' Izzini was sent off 2-1 favourite for the Wills Property Services Handicap Hurdle but Andrew Lynch's mount gradually weakened before two out to finish a well-beaten third behind the Mickey Hammond-trained Just Cameron (9-4). Legacy Phoenix (6-4 favourite) could not turn things round for Crawford, finishing a distant fifth in the No Deposit Free Bets With bookmakers.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race as Hammond completed a double with Libby Mae (14-1). Meanwhile at Bangor Tony Martin's search for a first winner there goes on after he was out of luck with a couple of runners at the Welsh circuit. The County Meath-based trainer declared three runners for the latest fixture in Wrexham, but that was number was reduced after Malcolm Denmark-owned newcomer Lip Service was withdrawn from the bumper. Martin's first runner of the afternoon was Delvin Road, who was a 6-1 shot for the Stella Artois Maiden Hurdle having finished third at Down Royal on St Stephen's Day. Having been held up early on by Denis O'Regan, the seven-year-old made headway down the back straight, but his effort petered out and he eventually passed the post well beaten in fourth behind Donald McCain's Lough Derg Walk. To compound the issue, the jockey was suspended 10 days for "failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing". O'Regan also partnered the Martin-trained Heath Field (7-2), having steered him to victory on his latest start at Uttoxeter in November. He had to make do with minor honours, however, filling the runner-up spot behind David Pipe's determined 5-1 chance Saint John Henry.
