PESSIMISTIC Dick was perhaps not the most aptly named headliner of Ladies Day at Worcester but it was a glorious win for the 33-1 shot in the three-mile handicap chase on Saturday.
A crowd of more than 3,800 was attracted to a buzzing Pitchcroft as the ladies put on a show off the track.
On the course, however, it was Pessimistic Dick who stunned punters and delighted joint Glasgow owners Frank Flynn and Dick Madden.
The horse gets his name from the latter's, a former Glasgow Celtic goalkeeper, disposition.
The nine-year-old races in the colours of The Tam Pepper racing club and Flynn was in good spirits after the race.
"Tam Pepper is a legendary Scottish character who was picked out of hell for telling lies and I think this horse and our partnership are very well named. We've backed him at 33-1 today and had a nice little touch," said Flynn.
Morrison, who resisted running his stable star Marble Arch on the Flat this summer, has only Pessimistic Dick to operate with over jumps at present.
"He's been leading our Flat horses at home after three months out in the field. He needed a rest after struggling on the soft ground but I won't make the mistake of rushing him into another race before he's reassessed," added Morrison.
Texas Ranger was one of the more impressive performers at Worcester, the colt making it a four-timer for Charlie Mann when easily landed the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle.
Mann's only worry at the moment is that the four-year-old is still an entire.
"I was hoping to run him in a £40,000 race at Market Rasen on July 20 but that's over two miles and I think it will be too short. I'll probably point Ferzao at it," said Mann.
There was an upset in the novice hurdle when Cill Churnain overturned 1-2 chance Box Builder to carry on the good form of Sue Smith's horses. This was Smith's 20th winner from as many horses but she was unsurprised by the victory.
"I think he appreciated this slightly shorter trip and the win was not a surprise to me," she said.
Red Canyon sprang a surprise in the conditional jockey's novice handicap hurdle under David Crosse to reward the support of his owners Jayne and Gwyn Brace who sent him to Malvern trainer Andy Hobbs after Skiffle Man had to be put down.
And after a number of surprises, Worcester's operation manager Katherine Self described the day as a "big success".
"It's always a great occasion and Saturday was no different. Ladies Day always pulls the crowds in and we feel it was a big success," she said.
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