GIDLEIGH PARK OFF THE MARK ON DEBUT

Gidleigh Park made a perfect debut in the bumper at Chepstow on Sunday in the colours of the Eyre family.

A tall scopey son of Walk In The Park he had shown promise at home and was given a sound ride by Johnny Burke who soon got him nicely settled in midfield.

Gidleigh Park began to move forward turning for home, led two furlongs out and soon drew away to win stylishly by six lengths from The Jukebox Man with the favourite King William Rufus a well beaten third.

The form looks solid. The runner up had won his only Point-to-Point in Ireland in November while King William Rufus had finished third to the subsequent Champion Bumper third Captain Teague.

It was a lovely start to the racing career of a horse who should progress nicely with time and that is what we will give him as we look forward to starting him out over hurdles in the autumn.