Take Cover wins Beverley Bullet again

Veteran sprinter Take Cover won the William Hill Beverley Bullet for the second successive year for trainer David Griffiths and jockey David Allan.

Now an 11-year-old, the popular veteran had only run a week ago in Group One company in the Nunthorpe at York, and was not disgraced in sixth.

Back in calmer Listed-race waters, he was able to dominate throughout, despite being drawn out wide in stall nine.

Early pace has always been a feature of his running style and once he pinged out of the stalls to grab the rail ahead of Mythmaker, he was always likely to take some pegging back.

The 3-1 joint-favourite was going away again at the line and fended off Mythmaker to win by a length and a quarter, with Elnadim Star making late headway for third.

Owner-breeder Andrew Hollis said: "He's one in a million.

"The Nunthorpe didn't take much out of him so that was incredible.

"He didn't start running until he's four, which is why he's been able to keep going for so long.

"We'll probably go to Newbury now for the race he won last year and then we'll probably retire him. I couldn't bring him back at 12. He doesn't deserve that as he's done amazing for us.

"We called him Take Cover because when he was younger we all had to take cover from him because he was very quirky.

"I'm always nervous to watch him as he means so much to us. He'll be so difficult to replace."

Griffiths said: "To keep going like he does, he's absolutely unbelievable.

"I'm just so proud of him."