Loder off to a flyer
Newmarket trainer David Loder started off his New Year in fine style courtesy of a 9-1 double with Big Band Music and Zabeel Palace at Lingfield today.
Big Band Music (evens favourite) looked well tuned up for the opening Bet Direct On Sky Active Maiden Stakes and jockey Eddie Ahern never had to move a muscle on the colt, who went to the front on the bend into the straight and drew clear to score by three lengths at even money from Avanti Avanti.
Zabeel Palace (4-1) was always prominent and made virtually all to beat Wotchalike by a head in the Littlewoods Bet Direct Handicap.
Alan McCabe, one of Loder’s assistants, said: “That’s a good start to the campaign.
“Zabeel Palace was a great price considering his form and he really wants to go a bit further. We thought that if he led he would relax and we were right.
“We’ll be having quite a lot of runners from now on and entries every day this week.”
Ahern went on to collect a 49-1 treble when the David Flood-trained Il Pranzo obliged in the Bet Direct No Q On 0800 93 66 93 Claiming Stakes.
The 4-1 chance had a battle royal with favourite Safendonseabiscuit in the six-furlong contest and got the best of it by three-parts of a length.
Also in top riding form was Neil Callan, who secured a 12.5-1 double on Atlantic City and Spence Appeal.
The brace was initiated when Atlantic City ran out a very cosy winner of the Bet Direct On All Weather Racing Median Auction Maiden Stakes.
Given a confident ride by Callan, the four-year-old was held up towards the rear before setting sail for home at the furlong marker and coasting in by half a length from Garrigon.
Trainer Lydia Richards said of her 5-4 winner: “He just gets sweeter all the time. He used to be raced prominently and got fed up with being passed.
“He likes these tactics better. We bought him to go hurdling, but as long as he is running well on the all-weather we might as well persevere with him.
“He already jumps fine and there are a couple of shares left in him.”
The well-backed Spence Appeal (5-1), meanwhile, got up on the line to pip Missed Turn by a neck in the Bet Direct On 0800 32 93 93 Selling Stakes and was bought in by Kevin Ryan for £4,000 at the subsequent auction.
Robert Winston got in on the double act, too.
He landed the Littlewoods Bet Direct AW Jockeys Championship Handicap for David Barker on Whinhill House (7-1) before booting home Les Montague Hall’s Madrasee (11-2) in the closing Bet Direct On At The Races Handicap.
