LOCAL HEROES
THERE may be a north-south divide in National Hunt racing but there is no such thing on the Flat. Yorkshire trainers won all three Group races for two-year-olds at York.
RICHARD FAHEY
THE Al Basti Equiworld Gimcrack provided the trainer with his only winner of the week after some near misses when Sands Of Mali won by an impressive two-and-three-quarter lengths. Fahey had saddled three seconds in the race prior to this, including Ribchester.
The colt is by the former French stallion Panis, who stood for €1,000 and was eventually gelded because he was not getting anything of any worth. Sands Of Mali was bought by bloodstock agent Matt Coleman for owner Peter Swann, who is chairman of Scunthorpe United, after he had been the first horse of 180 to breeze at Ascot earlier in the year.
TIM EASTERBY
HE was in his element when Wells Farhh Go — by Darley’s first season sire Farhh — won Wednesday’s Tattersalls Acomb Stakes by a nose. A tall colt, related to as many winners over jumps as he is on the Flat, he still has a lot of filling out to do. He cost Easterby 16,000gns as a yearling and is now unbeaten in two starts on the Knavesmire. The trainer is eyeing next year’s St Leger because he already wants a mile.
MARK JOHNSTON
JOHNSTON supplemented Threading for the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes and it paid off when she beat Madeline a length and three quarters. She got a nice lead from the American juvenile Happy Like A Fool and when that faded she kept on strongly. With a Group Two now in the bag, she could now head to the Cheveley Park.