Jonjo O’Neill reached the 50 winner mark for the campaign after Beachcomber, who he described was a ‘bit of a character’, showed what he is capable of when everything clicks together after scooping the most valuable pot of his career in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle at Huntingdon today.

 

Having suffered an odds-on reversal when pulling up after becoming unrideable in an amateur jockeys’ handicap hurdle at Catterick last month the gelded son of Bathyrhon left that effort behind when making it two wins from as many visits to the Cambridgeshire circuit. 

 

Showing that stamina is his forte the 4-1 chance, who contested the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival in March, dug deep when it mattered most in the three-mile one furlong prize under the triumphant trainer’s son Anthony to repel Loup De Maulde by three- and three-quarter lengths. 

 

The winning trainer said: “He is a bit of a character. He won a bumper at Chepstow, and we thought he was going to be okay, and he probably will be as he is a big weak horse. He seems to have got the hang of things now, and he won around here the last time he came here. He seems to like flat tracks. 

 

“He jumped the right the day Jonjo (O’Neill Jnr) lost his irons at Kempton Park. At Catterick last time he basically ran out at the bend near the stands and he ended up being pulled up. He wanted to go home before everyone else!

 

“That win will give us a bit of leg to find a bit of a plan for him and we will take it from there. That wasn’t a too bad pot today. He is not the most reliable, but when he is good he is good. He jumps well so I can’t see why he wouldn’t jump a fence in time. 

 

“I hope he will end up being a nice chaser and his owner will have a bit of fun with him as he is a nice horse.”