Idaho Sun upstages Mydaddypaddy in Formby

Idaho Sun ran out a convincing winner of the William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree, beating ante-post Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favourite Mydaddypaddy in style.

Trained by Harry Fry – who was celebrating his first Grade One winner since Metier landed the equivalent race in 2021 when it was called the Tolworth and run at Sandown – Idaho Sun was a 3-1 chance with Dan Skelton’s Mydaddypaddy the 8-13 market leader.

Idaho Sun’s only defeat had come when a creditable sixth in the Champion Bumper in March and he had barely put a foot wrong in two previous races over hurdles.

However, Mydaddypaddy had oozed class in an unbeaten start to his career and set a high standard.

With the hurdles in the home straight dolled off due to the low sun, it turned into a long run for home and Harry Skelton did appear to be travelling much better on the favourite but Idaho Sun found plenty for pressure to win by three and a quarter lengths.

Fry, who almost lost his voice cheering him home, told Racing TV: “We came in under the radar but we let the horses do the talking on the track.

“He’d done nothing wrong, he’d only been beaten once in his life when he was a staying-on sixth in the Champion Bumper and he didn’t come down the hill that day but he flew up it.

“He learned plenty from his two runs over hurdles, he’s progressing and I know they didn’t jump the flights in the straight but he’s progressing and I love his attitude. He’s a real galloper with a high-class cruising speed.

“This is what we dream of, Grade Ones, unbeaten novice hurdlers.”

Idaho Sun is now as low as 12-1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and Fry added: “The Supreme is obviously his aim, we said we’d aim for this and then see where the land lies.

“This is what it’s all about, he was our only runner on the day, we’ve won fair and square, obviously another day is another race but we’ll look forward to it.

“We’ll enjoy this, it’s been a while since our last Grade One and whether he runs again, I don’t know.

“This is great, it’s hopefully getting us back to where we want to be.”

Owner Jeremy Gear added: “My hero as a child was Red Rum and when they had to bypass the second last fence it looked like going around the Elbow in the National, it was as if Red Rum was by his side!”