Perfect Day for the Crawford Clan

Call Box ridden by Ben Crawford (brother to winning trainer Stuart) completed a fantastic day for the Crawford family as he took the Ring of Fire Beginners Chase providing his trainer Stuart Crawford with a double on the day, after Streamtown had won just over an hour earlier.

The winning son of Witness Box has been mixing it between point-to-point's and the racecourse proper with two wins to his name both of which came between the flags at Kirkstown last year and Toomebridge on his last start on the first day of this month.

The winner who was returned at 10/1 improved to lead three out and was ridden and challenged before the second last. He then disputed the lead with Shane Rock on the run to the last but he kept on best to assert up the hill and score by three lengths.

The afforementioned Shane Rock kept on to take second at 7/1 while Macra Na Feirme finished a further seven lengths back in third at 33/1.

Just five of the twelve who set out completed the course with A Little Different Market Garden and Knocklayde Euro all pulling up. Oscar's Ballad and Hidden Profit both fell while the 10/11 favourite White Star Line (at the second last, when struggling in third) and Oh So Gogo both unseated.

Rockyaboya was earlier pulled out due to a stone bruise.

Afterwards Stuart Crawford said: "I think that is my first double. That is Ben’s first winner in Ireland he has had two winners in England.

"I expected both of them to run well and with my two brothers riding them it’s a perfect day.

"He was a bit unfortunate in some of his races. He won his maiden point-to-point last season and really put it up to Backstage in an Open earlier this year.

"He won convincingly last time out at Toomebridge.

"The ground didn’t matter to him today and he could make into a four mile horse. He doesn't have the size for the Grand National but maybe the four miler at Cheltenham or the Ulster National."