IT was a special day for Stanton Fitzwarren trainer Johnathen de Giles at Southwell earlier in the week when he saddled 9-1 shot Wednesday Country to win the two-and-a-half mile conditional jockeys' handicap chase ridden by his son Felix.
It was the first winner under Rules for the family partnership who have been successful on the point-to-point circuit.
The trainer said: "We bought him at a sale in Cheltenham about three years ago and he ran in bumpers, running a good race behind the Paul Nicholls-trained Kicks For Free, but after that he didn't show a great deal over hurdles.
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"In his first run over fences he made a bad mistake and was eased out of it but the next run he finished second at Taunton a month ago and then won well at Southwell.
"Jimmy McCarthy rode him at Taunton, Felix was riding somewhere else and we couldn't get him.
"I did think he would run well and I was very pleased. The owners and myself all had a few bob on.
"He will probably go again at Worcester in a couple of weeks' time in a similar race, he needs good ground but we won't risk him if it's too firm."
Explaining the horse's name Wednesday Country, de Giles said: "He's owned by a hunting syndicate. They hunt four days a week on different patches always on a Wednesday."
Based at South Farm Stanton Fitzwarren, de Giles trains three horses to run under Rules with several point-to-pointers but said he will be increasing his racing interests from now on.
"On dropping a few things I have been involved with I will be looking to get a few more horses in."
He went on to add that he was pleased with the way Felix has started his jumping career in the saddle.
"He started hunting when he was a little kid and learned to jump fences. He then went on to pony racing and won the final of his age group at Wincanton he then did a couple of seasons point-to-pointing, finishing second in the novice championship despite being out six weeks with a broken leg, and he's now doing well at Nicky Henderson's."
Since joining the powerful Nicky Henderson yard at the start of the season Felix, in his first season in the professional ranks, has ridden 22 winners including four doubles, two at Fakenham and one at Huntingdon and Southwell.
The young jockey said he was settling in well at Seven Barrows adding: "It's a good place to be. I just hope to keep chipping a way, keep my feet on the ground and see where I get to."
He said he was still getting plenty of help and advice from the senior jockeys attached to the Henderson yard.
"Mick Fitzgerald is very good to me and very helpful but sometimes when the trainer has a couple of runners in bumpers we ride against each other and no quarter is asked or given."
"Mick took a nasty fall in the National and has had to have a couple of operations. We all wish him well for a speedy recovery and hope he will soon be back at the yard.
"All in all it has been a brilliant first season for me as a professional. If you could have told me I would have had 22 winners by now last season I would have been very pleased."
With six winners and to or three places from his last 14 rides the former Fairford school pupil is beginning to make a name for himself on the jump's circuit.
With a couple of winners here and there from De Giles senior he could soon be losing his conditional jockey allowance and become a fully fledged pilot.
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