A HUSBAND and wife team based at Whitcombe had huge reason to celebrate on Saturday as their three-year-old, Harbour Law, was the surprise winner of the St Leger at Doncaster.

Nick Cornwell, along with wife Jackie, were present to see their 22-1 shot win the world’s oldest classic, scooping £396,970 in the process, with Nick admitting “we’ve never experienced anything like this”.

In a dramatic contest that saw hot favourite Idaho appear to take a false step just under four furlongs out and unship Seamie Heffernan, Harbour Law made history for his trainer Laura Mongan, who also became the first woman to train the winner of the prestigious race.

Harbour Law, bought at the Goffs London Sale in June for a £30,000 by the pair, won by three-quarters of a length from Ventura Storm, with Housesofparliament a short head away in third.

Joint-owner Nick Cornwell said: “Between myself and Jackie, we’ve been involved in racing for more than 20 years, we have a pre-training yard in Whitcombe, but we’ve never experienced anything like this.

“We were praying for rain on the way up and when we got about 15 miles on the track it stopped and we thought that might be that but he was the best horse on the day.

“We’ll sit down now and make a plan. He’s progressed as the year has gone on and I think he will progress again next year.”

Speaking to Racing UK, he added: “We are down in Whitcombe and do our own pre-training there. We sold our two farms in Northampton with a view to buying Whitcombe.

“We are planning a long-term operation, breeding and pre-training there.”