What's a 472-mile round trip when there are New Year's Day winners to celebrate?

Jamie Snowden: The trainer to follow at Catterick on January 1

Sunday: Catterick

It is good to see new year traditions return after Covid – huge crowds watching fireworks on the Thames, pubs charging entry fees for the privilege of buying their beer and North Yorkshire punters toasting Jamie Snowden.

He may be based 236 miles away from Catterick but the Lambourn trainer has made a habit of striking here on the first day of the year. 

Snowden had a well-backed winner on the January 1 card every year from 2017 to 2019 and did it again as 8-15 favourite Park This One landed the novice hurdle – which stablemate Hogan's Height took four years ago – by five lengths under Gavin Sheehan.

And jockey and trainer made it a double when Git Maker (8-13) captured the novice handicap chase 70 minutes later. 

"We quite like it up here!" said Snowden. "It's always quite nice to start the year with a winner and although it's not our local course it puts on nice races and prize-money. And it's always nice to go anywhere for a winner."

Snowden could be back in Yorkshire later in the month when Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Ga Law bids for the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster, unless he takes up an option at Ascot the previous week, and he has another big race in mind for Park This One.

Jamie Snowden sports a big smile following Ga Law's Paddy Power Gold Cup triumph

Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"We'll try to qualify him for the EBF Final next and I hope that will be his end-of-season target," he added. "He's just an honest, galloping, staying future chaser."

After Git Maker scored at the second time of asking in chases, Snowden said: "He's a lovely young horse and we've been crying out to go three-mile chasing with him.

"It was great that he won three hurdle races last season but he's a proper staying chaser. Like Park This One, he's not flashy but the harder the race, the better he'll be."

Quick return

Turned out just three days after being a beaten favourite at Doncaster, Matchless got back in punters' good books by landing the 2m novice hurdle to complete a treble for Sheehan.

He topped the betting again at 11-8 and trainer Jennie Candlish's assistant Alan O'Keeffe said: "Nothing went right for him at Doncaster, he ran keen and was caught wide, and you could put a line through that.

"He was fresh afterwards, this looked a winnable race and the owner was happy to come. The ground was a question mark but he'd run in a Group 3 on soft/heavy and been beaten only seven lengths. 

"He loves jumping and he has a good attitude. We'll give him a break now, as I think he'll be better on better ground, and find a nice novice handicap for him in the spring."

Double joy

Sue Smith has had plenty of horses run well without winning of late so was delighted to see her luck change with a double.

Just Jess won the 3m1f handicap hurdle under Ross Chapman before Edgar Allan Poe (Thomas Willmott) denied Sheehan a four-timer on Miltiades in the 2m handicap hurdle at 28-1.