Nurse Susan battles back for Sandown Listed glory

Nurse Susan made up for lost time with victory in the Unibet Mares’ Hurdle at Sandown.

Dan Skelton’s chestnut has always had plenty of talent, with a placed Cheltenham Festival run on her CV, but her career has been interrupted several times due to injury.

She is clearly in good form this season, however, with a win at Prestbury Park in a handicap last time seeing her step up to Listed level at Sandown.

Under Harry Skelton she was an 11-4 shot, and progressed from an unpromising position to work her way through the field and secure a two-and-a-quarter-length triumph from Paul Nicholls’ 9-5 favourite Jubilee Alpha.

“She’s a nine-year-old with the mileage of the six-year-old, hopefully we can look forward after her win at Cheltenham,” said Dan Skelton to Racing TV.

“I fancied her at Cheltenham and I did think she could win today, but I knew on numbers it would be difficult to beat Jubilee Alpha and it has turned out that way.

“Our mare has raced lazily and made things difficult for herself but that’s her wont, that’s how she does things but I wouldn’t say it is a problem because you can trust her.

“You can’t have your time again but if she’d have been a really sound horse, who knows how far she could have gone.

“She’ll be entered in the Coral Cup and the mares’ race (at Cheltenham), there’s a race at Doncaster at the end of the month and we might look at Haydock for the Rendlesham.

“There are lots of options for her before we have to think about Cheltenham, she’s been a great mare for us despite the fact she’s had time off, so hopefully she hasn’t danced her last dance.”