COULD Richard Fahey have unearthed another juvenile to bag a top York prize?
Flyman looked an impressive winner for the Malton trainer when scooping the Acturis EBF Maiden Stakes on his racecourse debut at Knavesmire yesterday.
A son of Pastoral Pursuits, the 15-8 favourite was a length and a quarter too good for another Fahey runner, Tanghan, and the Musley Bank trainer is looking towards the massive prize pot of the two-year-old sales race at August’s Ebor Festival.
“He’s quite a nice horse but we won’t rush him,” he said. “We won’t be in any hurry with him. We are looking at the sales race here in August for him.”
Flyman’s victory also landed owner George Murray a £10,000 cheque, on top of the lion’s share of the £10,000 prize pool, as the juvenile qualified for the Racing Post yearling bonus.
Murray, who had a box at the track for the day, joked he wanted the bonus to be paid out in cash to pay for the party that night.
The owner was looking for a double later with Fly Fisher in the SKF Rous Selling Stakes but, in a field made up mostly of North Yorkshire-trained horses, it was Fadeintoinfinity (5-2 fav), saddled by former England footballer Mick Channon and ridden by Sam Hitchcott, who made easy work of the six furlong contest.
A daughter of Sixties Icon, who won the St Leger at York in 2006, Fadeintoinfinity was subsequently bought in an auction following the race for £12,500.
Fahey’s Bridle Belle struck clear for home in the feature £20,000 Bond Tyres Stakes but was reeled in by Qahriman (7-2), who gave Ryan Moore a York double.
He had earlier triumphed when Valiant (7-4 fav) lived up to his name when bravely grinding down the long-leading Silver Blaze to take the Neptune Investment Management Stakes Moore said: “He got the trip very well and hopefully he can progress.”
Trainer Ronald Harris’s tremendous season at York continued when Judge ‘n Jury (10-1) sneaked the Coopers Marquees Stakes.
The eight-year-old, who won on Knavesmire during the Dante Festival, got the judges’ verdict in a photo-finish with Great Habton trainer Tim Easterby’s Hazelrigg.
A short head was all that separated the pair and the decision pushed Harris, who was claiming his fourth York winner of the season, back to the summit of the top trainer championship.
Osbaldwick-based jockey Robert Winston steered 25-1 shot Sam Nombulist to an unexpected win in the Racing Plus £1.20 on Saturday Stakes.
The four-year-old, trained by Scarcroft’s Richard Whitaker, just held off Espirit De Midas (20-1) in the seven furlong race.
Amy Ryan, daughter of Hambleton-based trainer Kevin, gave Whitaker a double when riding Rio’s Rosanna (9-2 fav) to victory in the mile-and-a-half Future Cleaning Services Apprentice Stakes.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here