Plan pays off for Apollo

Tim Easterby believes Golden Apollo could be a future Ayr Gold Cup contender after he relished the strong pace to win the Catherine Kinloch Paver Memorial Macmillan Charity Handicap at York.

The North Yorkshire handler was delighted a long-term plan had paid off which gave him a fifth victory in the Catherine Kinloch Paver Memorial Macmillan Charity Handicap.

It had not been without its scares, though, as Easterby was forced to run Golden Apollo at Pontefract on Monday and just prayed he won to ensure his place in the field.

A 5lb penalty for that success, as well as being drawn wide in stall one, failed to dampen Easterby’s confidence and Golden Apollo (5-1) delivered in style under James Sullivan to deny bottom weight The Wagon Wheel by just a neck. Justanotherbottle was a length away in third.

Easterby said: “I’d like to run him in the Ayr Gold Cup one day, but it would have to be soft.”