GRAHAM Wylie's Weapons Inspector wasted no time in starting to repay his hefty 40,000 guineas' price tag by making a winning debut under National Hunt rules at Sedgefield yesterday.

Wylie, voted owner of the year at the prestigious Horserace Writers' Association Derby Awards ceremony in London on Monday, had stayed down in the capital thus leaving trainer Howard Johnson to do the honours.

"Weapons Inspector needs it deep and that's proper jumping ground out there," said Johnson about the Graham Lee partnered six-year-old, successful in a point-to-point on his only other start at Kildorrey in Ireland.

Johnson and Lee made a swift return to the winners' enclosure, notching a sparkling 31-1 double courtesy of the all-the-way scorer, Scotmail, in the following Novices' Hurdle.

"He's a tough hardy sort and Graham likes this fellow who'll jump a fence one day. Ideally Scotmail wants a quicker surface, even so he's coming along nicely," said Howard.

The outcome of the Cantor Spreadfair Handicap Hurdle proved to be a family affair with the Brian Storey-trained, General Duroc, carrying his father Eric's colours to victory in the testing three-mile-three-furlong event.

One of the most popular riders ever to ply his trade on the northern circuit, Storey has now turned his hand to the other side of the operation.

"I've got 22 horses in at present and things are going really well. We bought General Duroc cheap for only 4,200 guineas at the Doncaster May Sales, he had a problem in his back, plus lost his way with Richard Philips last year," reported the Cumbrian-based handler.

The on course bookmakers couldn't believe their good fortune when an almighty gamble on 10/11 favourite, Osiris, went astray after the plunge horse unseated his jockey four flights from the finish in the opening Classified Hurdle.

The lucky recipient hovering to pick up the pieces was the County Limerick seven-year-old grey raider, Compo. "Both ground and trip were ideal and he wasn't flagging at any stage," reported successful trainer, Eric McNamara, who made it two on the afternoon when Captain Mac strolled to a facile ten-length triumph in the later Novices' Handicap Chase.

Fresh from a weekend double at Wetherby, Tim Easterby's stable continued their excellent form when Eborarry ploughed through the mud to take the closing two-mile-one-furlong Handicap Hurdle.

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