Lochridge keeps up family tradition
Lochridge seems to have inherited her family’s trait of improving with age and the daughter of the brilliant Lochsong gained her third success of the season in the Slatch Farm Stud Flying Fillies’ Stakes at Pontefract yesterday.
Andrew Balding’s four-year-old had the plum number one draw and, having been handily placed from the outset, stepped up a gear to lead a furlong and a half from home.
She ran right to the line for Martin Dwyer to beat Lady Lindsay by one and three-quarter lengths in the Listed contest.
Lochridge was bred by her owner Jeff Smith, whose racing manager, former jockey and trainer Ron Sheather, said: “She is a grand filly, but we did it a bit wrong thinking she would get seven furlongs, though Lochsong did win once over that trip.
“I would not be at all surprised if she dropped back to five furlongs next season, and like all the family she keeps improving with age.”
There is possibility that she could run in a Group Three event at some stage, but when asked if she might go for the Ayr Gold Cup, which is on Lochsong’s long list of successes (1992), Sheather added: “They were thinking about it, but I think it would be unlikely now, she would have too much weight.”
William Haggas was full of praise for the prize money on offer on Pontefract’s richest ever day’s racing – and he took a fair slice of it himself as he landed a double with odds-on chances Fyodor and Obrigado.
Tony Culhane had Fyodor smartly away in the £12,500 (€17,700) EBF Sunday Plate Maiden Stakes and he made the rest of the running, staying on well through the last quarter-mile to hold the persistent challenge of Local Poet comfortably by two lengths.
Half an hour later Culhane completed a double as Obrigado struck the front with three furlongs to race in the Kids Come Free Maiden Stakes, also carrying £12,500 (€17,700) added prize money, and gradually drew away to win by eight lengths from Rose Tinted.
The trainer said: “I am delighted to support Sunday meetings which put on this sort of prize money.
“Fyodor is still a bit weak and he will not be overdone this season – but I think he is quite a nice horse and the ‘Sandy Lane’ (at Haydock) could be next.”
Of Obrigado, he added: “I bought this horse at Keeneland on September 11, 2001, the day of the twin towers disaster, and we were stuck over there for five days.
“He did it well, but the two potential dangers came out and he needs a bit of time really. And again the prize money was terrific – a £12,500 (€17,700) maiden. You don’t have those at Ascot.”
Luca Cumani, who had earlier sent out two winners at Bath, struck when Faraway Lady completed a hat-trick under Kevin Darley in the sportingoptions.co.uk (Exchange Betting) Handicap.
Darley said: “Faraway Lady was rated only 48 when she won her first race at Beverley, but it did her good to get her head in front there and it gave her a bit of confidence.”
Sir Michael Stoute’s High Action, ridden by Fergal Lynch, made it three wins from his last four starts in the De Lacy Handicap, beating Double Obsession, who is an entry in the Melrose Rated Stakes at York next Thursday, by one and a half lengths.
The Tim Easterby-trained Flighty Fellow defied top weight in game fashion under a strong ride from Seb Sanders in the Wakefield Unison Quality Services For Quality People Handicap.
Brecongill Lad, winner of the race four seasons ago, belied his 11 years to win the Wakefield Unison Quality Public Service Handicap in the hands of his trainer David Nicholls’ son Adrian.
This was his 10th career success, and his owner Peter Davidson-Brown said: “I was going to retire him when he was 10, but David said ‘don’t to that yet’ and the old horse has had a new lease of life this season.”
