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A review of the racing from Beverley: Twizzell set for Hilary Needler

Trainer Ann Duffield during day three of the 2014 Ladbrokes St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse, Doncaster.
Image: Ann Duffield, trainer of Twizzell

News of the pick of the action from Bank Holiday Monday at Beverley where Ann Duffield introduced a promising juvenile.

Ann Duffield has set her sights on a return to Beverley later this month with Twizzell for the Hilary Needler Trophy following her taking debut in the Meyday Raceday Novice Median Auction Stakes.

Breaking smartly, the well-supported 4-1 joint-favourite poured on the pressure from the front in the five-furlong affair under PJ McDonald, demonstrating a potent turn of foot to come home four and a half lengths clear of Chevalier Du Lac.

Duffield said: "This one has been working to within half a length of the boy that won at Thirsk on Saturday (Rainbow Mist). She wouldn't have his temperament, but that can be developed.

"She's a very nice filly and this race came at the right time as I wouldn't have run her 10 days ago.

"That (Hilary Needler) was the first thing we thought of. The way she quickened there, why not have a go?"

The David Barron-trained Play Nicely (14-1) made it four wins since the turn of the year when putting two lacklustre runs behind him in obliging by a neck in the Maddy Prior At The Beverley Folk Festival Handicap to complete the first leg of a double for winning rider Graham Gibbons.

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Ken Langley, member of syndicate Lets Be Lucky Racing, said: "This horse won a race at Redcar last year but was disqualified because he lost his weight cloth.

"He's a good horse, though, and has done really well for us on the all-weather.

"He'll go to the sales at the end of the year but hopefully we can have a bit more fun with him."

Gibbons completed his brace aboard the Les Eyre-trained Make On Madam (9-1) in the opening division of the Racing Again On Tuesday 10 May Handicap.

Twelve months after celebrating a double on the card trainer David O'Meara and jockey Danny Tudhope went one better when teaming up for a 272-1 treble featuring a second successive win in the Beverley Annual Badgeholders Handicap for Rousayan (6-1).

O'Meara said: "I'm absolutely delighted with him, to be fair. I was a bit worried about the ground being too slow but he's proved me wrong.

"Last year he did it differently - he made all and only just got home - but that was much easier. Hopefully we can go on from this now.

"Because of the move (of yard), we were a month behind as the horses came back in in February instead of January. It's taken more time but we are getting going again now."

The pair started their haul after First Bombardment (11-2) got off the mark at the 12th time of asking in the Beverley Folk Festival Here In June Handicap and completed it courtesy of a nose success gained by All You (5-1) in the opening division of the Racing Again Tuesday 10 May Handicap.

Hestina backed up her fine debut effort at Sandown 10 days ago to justify her 8-13 price tag to give Newmarket handler Peter Chapple-Hyam a rare winner at the track in the opening Maypole Dancers Maiden Fillies' Stakes, while the concluding White Rabbit Apprentice Handicap went the way of Arcane Dancer (33-1) trained by Lawrence Mullaney.

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