POINT TO POINT: ROYAL DAY FOR RECORD BREAKERS
On a day of milestones at Sheriff Hutton, dual national champion jockey James King took his career tally to 250, William Easterby recorded a 100th Pointing winner and there were two dead-heats at a fixture in the North for the first time.
Julie Wadland’s Warwickshire raider Lagan Valley was always lying handy in the Conditions Race and never looked like being pegged back after being sent on half-a-mile from home by James King. Following an objection by the clerk of the scales, runner-up The Dubai Way was disqualified after Felix Barlow failed to draw the correct weight. King’s impressive career total of winners under all codes comprises 200 between the flags and 50 under Rules.
Rue Galilee reaped the benefit of a previous run at Alnwick in December when providing local jockey William Easterby with his 100th Pointing success in the second division of the 3m2f Maiden Race. Always prominent, the six-year-old looked beaten when headed after the last by Gabrielle De Balon before rallying when the chips were down to regain the initiative and win, going away, by two-and-a-half lengths.
Making a belated seasonal debut, odds-on favourite Premier Magic turned the closing stages of the Men’s Open Race into a procession under Bradley Gibbs and will have one more run in mid-February before defending his crown in the Cheltenham Foxhunters’ Chase on March 15.
The first dead-heat of the afternoon came in the Ladies Open Race between prolific winners Ballydonagh Boy (Rosie Howarth) and Mount Mews (Roisin Leech). The pace-setting Ballydonagh Boy had a prolonged duel with Leech’s mount from two out and the pair were still inseparable at the line. Former 145-rated hurdler Mount Mews is trained by Lucinda Hughes, wife of champion jumps jockey Brian, and a red letter day was completed by stable companion Super Citizen’s victory in a Kelso Hunters’ Chase under Nick Orpwood.
Fortunes Hill (Paddy Barlow) was left well clear in the Restricted Race when the challenging Latenightrumble unseated Jack Andrews at the final fence, while Cash Or Card stayed on strongly under Dale Peters to score by three lengths on debut in the first division of the 12-runner 3m2f Maiden Race in which only two finished.
The second dead-heat came in the concluding 2m6f Maiden Race between Yorkshire-trained rivals Wottinger (John Dawson) and Jack Teal’s ex-Irish recruit Fire In Her Eyes.
RESULTS
11.45am, Conditions Race: 1, Lagan Valley (J King) 2/1 fav, 2, Darius Des Sources (Miss L Teal) 11/2, 3, Red Opium (Miss R Howarth) 10/1, 13 Ran, 8,4.
12.20pm, Restricted Race: 1, Fortunes Hill (P Barlow) 7/1, 2, Courting Flow (C Furness) 6/1, 3, Jeux D’Eau (H Edwards) 10/1, 10 Ran, 10,2.
12.55pm, Ladies Open Race: 1, Ballydonagh Boy (Miss R Howarth) 7/2 & Mount Mews (Miss R Leech) 2/1 fav, 3, Thosedaysaregone (Miss I Mactaggart) 14/1, 10 Ran, DdHt,10. 1.30pm, Men’s Open Race: 1, Premier Magic (B Gibbs) 1/4 fav, 2, Torygraph (J King) 12/1, 3, The Creadan Rogue (H Edwards) 6/1, 11 Ran, 14,1.
2.05pm, 3m2f Maiden Race (Div.1): 1, Cash Or Card (D Peters) 5/2, 2, Where’s Hector (H Myddelton) 6/4 fav, Only 2 finished, 12 Ran, 3.
2.40pm, 3m2f Maiden Race (Div.2): 1, Rue Galilee (W Easterby) 6/1, 2, Gabrielle De Balon (J Andrews) 4/5 fav, 3, Greater Glory (Miss R Howarth) 7/2, 11 Ran, 2.5,Dist. 3.15pm, 2m6f Maiden Race: 1, Wottinger (J Dawson) 5/2 & Fire In Her Eyes (J Teal) 12/1, 3, Destination Mahler (D Peters) 11/4, 12 Ran, DdHt,4.