Charlie Todd registered the first Grade Two victory of his career when
ran out an easy winner of the WKD Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock.
Putting two lacklustre displays this season behind him, the seven-year-old bounced back to the form which had seen win valuable handicaps at Uttoxeter and at the Aintree
meeting last season.
Having shown such rapid improvement last spring connections were within their rights to think the Dan Skelton-trained seven-year-old could continue that this term, but a fall first time out seemed to have hampered his confidence.
He finished third at Carlisle in December and fifth at Windsor’s Winter Million meeting, making it look as if his progress had halted.
Upped in class he appeared to face a stiff task against last year’s winner Botox Has and Nigel Twiston-Davies’ big Grand National hope Beauport, who had finished third in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
Tom Bellamy set a stiff pace throughout on Beauport and one by one the field thinned out until it concerned just two.
Gwennie May Boy made stealthy headway on the final bend, but Bellamy looked content and was just getting ready to press the button when in a maatter of strides Gwennie May Boy had caught and passed Beauport and the race was over.
He went on to win by seven and a half lengths at 6-1, earning an 8-1 quote with Ladbrokes for the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham.
Todd said: “He travelled really well throughout. We went a good, honest gallop and I was surprised how well he travelled beneath me.
“I schooled him yesterday and I got a good feel off him then, probably the best of this season so I was confident coming into today.
“I breezed by Tom and I was probably there to two out a bit soon as it is a long run down to the last, but he was going so well which is why I took him, rather than take a pull.
“It was a good performance and a very good training performance by Dan.”