Thursday: Market Rasen
Teescomponents Lad was Gillian Boanas's first runner as a trainer after taking over the licence at Groundhill Farm, near Redcar, from Keith Reveley in 2017, so it was fitting the yard stalwart landed a 50th winner for her across both codes.
The eight-year-old won for the first time since landing last year's Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle qualifier under Sean Quinlan as he took the same race for the second year in a row, this time ridden by conditional Tom Midgley.
A delighted Boanas said: "He was my first ever runner with the licence, he just got beat in a bumper at Catterick and he's a little bit of an old yard favourite."
Teescomponents Lad was running in the colours of Graeme Renton after nearly being sold over the summer.
"Tees Components bred him and owned him, but we've got a lot of youngsters coming through the ranks and they just wanted to thin them out a little," said Boanas.
"I didn't want him to go. I didn't have the heart in the end and I managed to bang out a deal to buy him."
Teescomponents Lad (11/2) rewarded the efforts of the team of trainer Gillian Boanas when winning the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle for the second year running with a determined performance at Market Rasen this afternoon.
The eight-year-old was the first off the bridle under jockey Tom Midgley, but the son of Midnight Legend got better with every yard they went in the two mile and seven furlongs contest and held on gamely to score by three-quarters of a length after hitting the front at two out.
And Boanas, who revealed after the race that she clocks up around 100 hours of work a week, explained that the eight year old was a real favourite of hers.
Boanas, who is based at Lingdale in Redcar & Cleveland, said: “It’s fantastic. He’s so gutsy and it’s great for Tom Midgley who’s done nothing wrong on the horse this time and has run some great races in defeat – so they both deserve that really.
“They went a strong gallop early on and it’s probably not his ideal track as he wants a strong stamina test. Tom’s just tried to keep him interested and he probably got there too soon in the end, but he’s grand and just so straightforward to train.
“We tallied up the other week and I think I worked 100 hours, I’ll be out in the yard at five o’clock in the morning and then get in at seven in the evening most nights, so it’s very busy. We’ve got 20 horses in at the minute so it’s nine or ten lots a day sometimes, which can be a little full on.
“We’ve got a lot on and we’re a little bit out of the way, we could just do with another rider really but I’ve got three great girls and Tom comes in once a week – so we’re a good team.
“I didn’t have the heart to let him go to the sales, so I bought him off Teescomponents and we set the racing club up. He was my first ever runner at Catterick and was just touched off in a bumper first time out for me, so I’ve always had a little soft spot for him.”
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