New kid on the block
South African Travis Block rode his first-ever winner with a super-cool display on Andrew Balding’s Tarawan in the Kingfisher Handicap at Leicester on Thursday.
And he beat none other than master tactician Pat Eddery in the process.
The youngster, 17, who nominates Richard Hughes as his inspiration, has been with the Baldings for just over a year, has had only seven rides in total, four of them in this country.
“He was pretty cool, you wouldn’t have known it was his first winner,” said Balding after Block had brought Tarawan from last to first and foiled Eddery’s attempt to make all on the second, the Clive Cox-trained Danish Decorum, who was bidding to give the jockey and trainer doubles on the day.
“His father rang up when he was over in this country, so he found us rather than us finding him,” added Balding. “He rides nicely and has done very well.”
Tarawan, who started 7-4 favourite, is making quite a name for himself as a schoolmaster for the Baldings, having provided amateur rider Michaela Sowerby with her first winner at Doncaster last week.
Cox had earlier opened his account for the new turf season on the Flat when Lago D’Orta took the feature Tote Placepot Stakes.
The 11-1 shot confirmed the promise of his three placed runs as a two-year-old by stretching away from joint-favourites High Reach and Grand Passion to score cosily in the hands of Dane O’Neill.
“That’s brilliant. I’m delighted for the owner Dennis Shaw as it’s his first winner,” said the trainer. “He’s a really nice horse, very genuine, and hopefully will go on from here.”
Cox added: “I’m very happy with the strength of the stable this year. My horses will improve for a run, but I’m very pleased with them.”
Eddery rode one of his masterful waiting-in-front races on John Dunlop’s four-year-old filly Living Daylights to win the Greyhound Handicap over a mile and a half.
The daughter of Night Shift had cut little ice in four outings last season, but looked an improved performer as she saw off the challenge of Summer Bounty, who came from a fair way back to throw down a challenge at the furlong pole.
Harry Dunlop, in his new role as his father’s assistant at Arundel, said impending motherhood could have contributed to the improvement.
“Hopefully she’s in foal to Averti and she could continue to race until the beginning of July,” he said. “That was a game performance and we’re delighted.”
Favourite backers got off to a good start in the opening Keythorpe Maiden Fillies Stakes over seven furlongs when Tease maintained Richard Hannon’s good run by justifying solid market support.
The daughter of Green Desert looked set to score tidily when Ryan Moore pushed her into a clear advantage approaching the final furlong but in the end she scrambled home by a diminishing head and a short-head from the fast-finishing pair Dust Goddess and Buthaina, trained by Ed and John Dunlop respectively.
Tease, the most experienced horse in the race, was scoring at the 10th attempt. She was placed three times as a two-year-old but had disappointed in two runs on the Lingfield Polytrack this year.
“Thank goodness for that,” said Tim Jones, racing manager to owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing.
“She deserved to get the maiden win under her belt.
“She didn’t seem to enjoy the Polytrack. She got buzzed up in her races, was too keen early on and wasn’t getting home.
“She’s entered in a fillies’ handicap at Bath on Monday and we might take a pop at that and see if we can take advantage of running her under a penalty.”
But there was a shock in the concluding Bescaby Maiden Stakes when Mick Channon’s Fabulous Jet was comprehensively turned over at odds of 1-3 by Geoff Wragg’s newcomer Autumn Glory, an 11-2 shot ridden by Darryll Holland.
Jamie Mackay picked up a one-day suspension (April 5) for not riding to his draw on Tuscan Treaty in the opener.
