Racing: No Refuge confirms Johnson back to form

No Refuge served notice that he will be a force to be reckoned with this season when taking the £40,000 Blue Square Ascot Hurdle at Windsor yesterday.

As usual, the winner of last season's Royal & Sun Alliance Hurdle took plenty of stoking up and also showed his trend of jumping out to the right at each flight.

But when it came down to a fight from the last in the Grade Two event, the 7-4 favourite knuckled down bravely to see off French challenger Blue Canyon by two and a half lengths.

Owner Graham Wylie said he was delighted to see further evidence that the sickness problems which have blighted trainer Howard Johnson's runners of late seem to be in the past.

"It's great to see things going well again," he said. "Howard is a great trainer but we have all had to be patient with this bug going around. We thought it might be a struggle to get them fit but this horse is tough and he worked hard for it."