Santa's Son sleighs opposition in Wetherby's Castleford Chase
Santa's Son was an appropriately-named festive winner of the skybet.com Castleford Handicap Chase at Wetherby.
With regular rider Denis O'Regan stood down after an earlier fall with a badly bruised hand, the stage was set for Peter Buchanan to emerge as super-sub.
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Losses and gains: Denis O'Regan missed out, but it was a big afternoon for the Johnson and Wylie team
Buchanan nudged Howard Johnson's eight-year-old clear of the front-running Lord Jay Jay before the fourth fence and never looked back.
Only a few reminders were required to get the Graham Wylie-owned Santa's Son home by an easy 19 lengths from Moon Over Miami.
Last year's winner Calatagan, the 7-2 favourite, ran an inexplicably bad race and was never in contention.
Santa's Son's victory put the seal on a fantastic day for Johnson and especially Wylie, who was securing four winners at a meeting for the first time.
He said: 'We bought him as a two-and-a-half-mile horse but they went off so fast in front it brought his stamina into play.
'We only bought him in September after Howard saw him running in the Galway Plate.
'That's 49 winners for the season now but it's just a shame Denis missed it.'
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