Still Believing, a 10-year-old chestnut mare, has been a good servant to Vale of Glamorgan trainer Evan Williams.
Burdened with top weight of 11st 12lbs and ridden by Mitchell Bastyn she came home a nine lengths winner of the £21,665 George Smith Horseboxes Mares’ Handicap Chase at Hereford.
A 9-1 chance, Still Believing who is also a winner over hurdles, has won at Exeter, Chepstow, Ludlow, Cheltenham and Uttoxeter, winning on all kinds of going from good to firm to heavy.
👏👏 Super stuff from Mitchell Bastyan who steers STILL BELIEVING home to take the feature race.
Congratulations to all connections 🏆#HerefordRaces #ChristmasJumperDay
— Hereford Racecourse (@HerefordRaces) December 15, 2018
On the same day at Cheltenham, Williams ‘ grey gelding Silver Streak failed by one-and-three quarter lengths to catch Nicky Henderson’s Brain Power in the Unibet International Hurdle worth £78,778 to the winner.
But for a mistake at the penultimate hurdle, the Welsh Champion Hurdle winner would probably have been a lot closer but the obstacles are there for them to be jumped.
Earlier in the afternoon, Pembrokeshire trainer Rebecca Curtis saddled the winner of the Ryman Novices’ Chase with Drovers Lane, who, under Welsh jockey Sean Bowen, scored by one-and-a-half lengths from the Bryn Pauling trained Le Breuil.