Market Rasen today played host to the £75,000 Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase Final as part of an eight-race card. Staged over three miles for 10-year-olds and upwards, the contest was originally scheduled to take place at Sandown Park on January 4th and then Warwick on January 11th but frost caused both of those fixtures to be abandoned.

Photo by Steven Cargill

Connections of Copperhead (7-2 joint-favourite) were certainly pleased that the race went ahead at its third attempt as the 11-year-old made all under Freddie Gingell to score by a length and a quarter from Sam Brown (11-2), the winner of this race when it was staged at Warwick in 2024.

Winning trainer Joe Tizzard said: “It’s hard to explain, I get a lot of satisfaction after every win.

“But with this horse - he fell in the RSA at Cheltenham (in 2020) and cracked an eye socket and was a poorly horse for a couple of months. He seemed to completely lose his confidence and I took a lot of pleasure when he eventually came back and won a four-runner race at Plumpton (in May last year) off of a mark of 114.

“He got his head in front and won again -   they know when they win and he has gone from strength to strength this autumn.

“After he won his first race in the veterans’ series, the final was always going to be the target. I was the first one on the phone after Sandown and then Warwick were called off. This series means a lot to these old horses and they deserve it.

“It has all been about confidence with this horse. He has the same routine at home, nothing has changed but he has his confidence back now.

“We’ve enjoyed every run with him this season, including when he was second at Cheltenham last time, and to come and win this pot today is the icing on the cake. We’ve already looked at when the next veterans’ races are and we’ll carry on.

“I think I’ve only been to Market Rasen once since I retired as a jockey but I’ve enjoyed it today and we’ve been looked after really well – we’ll definitely be coming back!”

The other main race on today’s card was the £35,000 Listed Unibet Alan Swinbank Mares' Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race which went to Kingston Queen (David Pipe/ Gearoid Harney, 16-1).

A great start for the year at Market Rasen - we look forward to welcoming racegoers again on Tuesday 4 February - £10 tickets on sale now.