Kielan Woods © Photo Healy Racing
Marble Sands made a successful switch back to the National Hunt code to land the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase at Carlisle.
The grey, who is trained by David Killahena and Graeme McPherson, made his last two starts in all-weather Flat contests after a novice chasing campaign last season.
His form includes a Listed win over hurdles plus some decent graded efforts and in a field of four he was a 15-8 chance under Kielan Woods.
He was held up at the rear of the quartet but was never out of touch, progressing to take on 11-8 favourite Colonel Harry in the latter stages of the race.
The two horses looked to have battle on their hands but Marble Sands outjumped his rival and stayed on best of all to secure a three-and-three-quarter-length victory.
“I’m absolutely delighted, we’ve had the race in mind for a good while for him,” said McPherson.
“The conditions looked perfect, he obviously won a couple last year but he didn’t carry a penalty, he was going to go there off a nice weight.
“The trip looked spot on, the ground is always a worry at this time of year but the last dry couple of weeks made it perfect.
“The stars aligned for him and it was a great place to start a second season of chasing.
“He is so consistent, he’s run in a few graded races but if you take those out of the mix, he’s barely been out of the top three for the past four years.
“He tries his heart out, he’s a dream to train and I just wish I had a yard full of them.
“I bought him as a three-year-old at the stores sales and just fell in love with him, I’m so pleased he’s turned out to be the horse he is.”
As for next steps, the co-trainer added: “It really only is pencilled in, but there’s the Rehearsal Chase at the end of November up at Newcastle.
“We’ve always thought he’ll get further, he’ll get the best part of three miles but he doesn’t like it very soft, so if it did get that way we’d have to think again.”
There was another Listed event on the card in the Houghton Mares’ Chase, which was won by Lucy Wadham’s Terresita at 5-1 under Gavin Sheehan after the duo took the scalp of 6-4 favourite Galia Des Liteaux.
