Lord Jack home in a flash

Lord Jack Flash sprang something of a surprise in the opening EBF Maiden Stakes for juveniles at Yarmouth today.

The grey Woodborough gelding was a relatively unfancied 14-1 newcomer as Mark Johnston’s charge Mr Rooney was all the rage in the market.

Sure enough, Mr Rooney jumped out from the stalls to assume an early lead, but Lord Jack Flash was never far off the early pace.

He moved ahead over a furlong out as Mr Rooney hung left, and 5lb-claimer Colin Haddon served up a few reminders to keep him up to his work as Bel Cantor threatened.

Lord Jack Flash had enough in the tank to repel the challenge and score by a neck, though he wandered about a bit at the end.

Winning trainer Bill Turner said: “He’s been difficult to do anything with. He has dived off the gallops a couple of times at home, so we haven’t been able to set him alight and find out if he is any good or not.

“He will come on for this. He jumped the traps all right, but then he ran a bit green after hitting the front.”