MIDLANDS WINNER IN THE ENGLISH SUMMER NATIONAL

A MIDLANDS horse won the Britannia Building Society English Summer National for the first time since the inaugural race eight years ago.

Victory at Uttoxeter Racecourse in the biggest National Hunt race of the summer went to the 10-1 shot Surface To Air, trained in Lincolnshire by Chris Bealby.

It was another splendid occasion at the racecourse as thousands of people came out to support the races, including many customers and staff from the Staffordshire-based Britannia Building Society.

As always, the four-mile feature race was a cracking affair, with plenty of horses still on contention as the field of runners came into the home stretch for the final time.

The Lincolnshire horse – ridden by Noel Fehily - proved the strongest, finishing ahead of two 25-1 chances Out The Black and Rakalackey.  Fourty Acers was fourth at 8-1.

The seven-year-old had already showed his winning credentials twice in the last two months and came to Uttoxeter Racecourse on a potential three-timer.

Earlier, the opening Federation of Small Business Novices’ Hurdle was won by the 12-1 chance Robert The Brave, while the beintelligent.co.uk Maiden Hurdle went the way of The Snail (9-4).

The 4-1 chance First Boy proved best in the Orchid IT Conditional Jockeys’ Selling Hurdle.  The 2-1 favourite Honeybrook took the Jenrick Engineering Handicap Hurdle.

Haunted House won the Ianshiptoncars.co.uk Handicap Chase at 8-1; meanwhile the closing Foinaven Asset Management Ltd Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race went to racing debutant Magellan Straits (25-1).

The next racing at Uttoxeter is Irish Night on Tuesday 8 July when the first race is due off at 6.50pm.

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