TIGHT AT THE TOP
NOTTINGHAM’S big day of the year was marked by four close finishes.
Elidor won the feature stayers’ race by a nose from Wall Of Fire. George William and Kylang Rock won by a neck and there was a four-way photo to the @totepool Handicap with Cosmic Ray a nose in front on the line.
All four were cracking finishes with Elidor’s win particularly riveting. He, like Trip To Paris, is a Royal Ascot winner and he just would not give up when Wall Of Fire looked likelier to win.
Winning trainer Mick Channon was represented by his son, Jack, who said: “He’s a brilliant old horse. He seems to have been at the yard longer than us.
“He keeps turning up. He’s won for us at Royal Ascot. He’s won for us at Glorious Goodwood and it’s nice he’s added a stakes race to his CV.
“He becoming more relaxed and settled with age. Sometimes he can do a little too much, but as soon as he went past that last horse, he picked up the bridle.
“It’s lovely to see the old boy win. We’ll sit down with John and Julia (Aisbitt, owners) and Dad and come up with a plan.”
Hugo Palmer said of Wall Of Fire: “He’s run all the way to the line. Certainly there’s no sign that Dubai had left its mark. It might have improved him and brought him on. We’ll have to consider the Yorkshire Cup. It’s not far away, we’ll see. It was one of those races that there didn’t deserve to be a loser.”
Star Tips winners on the card won decisively. Mullarkey (12-1) came from last to first to win under champion Jim Crowley.
Just an other bottle (25-1) romped home by four lengths in the sprint handicap. Just when it looked as though the pack was closing in, he found an extra gear for Neil Farley to settle the issue.