Market Rasen Saturday review and reaction

A review of Saturday's action at Market Rasen as Brave Spartacus and Gran Maestro landed the feature events.

Brave Spartacus gave a bold front-running performance to win the Betfred Summer Plate at Market Rasen.

The nine-year-old, trained by Keith Reveley and ridden by his son, James, put in a tremendous round of jumping as he ran his rivals into submission.

Accompanied in the early stages by Greenlaw, Brave Spartacus (12-1) was hunted by several rivals with three fences left to jump, but he kept finding more to win comfortably by seven lengths from Baby Mix (5-1).

Valco De Touzaine (9-1) was another five lengths away in third.

Brave Spartacus could now have initiated a trip to the Galway Festival.

The winning jockey said: "He was in such a great rhythm and was relaxed. I thought he'd take a lot of beating.

"It was right to give him a run at Cartmel three weeks ago. He's always better after a run like that and he was trained to perfection.

"I always had plenty of horse under me. Even though he's a free-going horse, he's always seen his races out quite well.

"He's never stopped in his races in the last year or so anyway, so I was pretty confident the whole way. It's a great race to win. Grandma (Mary Reveley) won this years ago with Foundry Lane (in 2000).

"I know the owner (Richard Collins) will say go to Galway (Plate) next. Dad might not be so keen, but it would be great to have a go. It's only two weeks away so we'll have to see how he comes out of it."

Gran Maestro repelled Hammersly Lake in a pulsating finish to the Betfred TV Summer Hurdle.

The winner, trained by Dr Richard Newland and ridden by Will Kennedy, needed to pull out all the stops along the run-in to take the Listed affair over an extended two miles at odds of 16/1.

Hammersly Lake and Gran Maestro were in unison two flights from home, with neither horse refusing to give an inch from there on in.

Just when it looked like the former was getting on top for Barry Geraghty, Kennedy's companion gamely stuck his nose out on the far rail to collect by a neck.

Manhattan Swing finished third, while long-time leader Laudatory did well to plug on for fourth spot.

Kennedy said: "He had a few runs last summer then he had a wind op.

"His last run of the season was a fantastic run and as soon as he came back in, this was the plan.

"He had a run on the Flat in between and the doctor (Richard Newland) had him spot-on on the day and he's done it really nicely.

"I would have liked something to take me to the second-last instead of being in front too early.

"He probably idled a little bit when he was in front and I was very happy to see Barry's horse upsides me coming to the second-last.

"He kept mine going and won nicely in the end."