Double delight for Hamilton
Jockey Tony Hamilton was in top form at Beverley with a near 63-1 double in the first two races of the day.
Hamilton, who now has eight winners for the season, firstly came in for a winning spare ride aboard Granny Peel in the opening Racing UK On Channel 432 Claiming Stakes.
With Neil Callan held up on the way to East Yorkshire from London, where he was acting as a witness at an appeal hearing for Jamie Spencer, Hamilton was seen to good effect aboard Kevin Ryan’s filly, who stayed on well to land the spoils as an 11-4 favourite.
Despite looking ill at ease going down to the stalls, Granny Peel, retained by connections afterwards, showed good speed throughout the five-furlong dash before stretching clear to win with three lengths in hand of runner-up Bowl Em Over.
“Tony must have been thinking ’why on earth is he running this?’ before the start, but it was a different proposition at the end,” smiled Ryan.
“She’s moved like that since day one but she’s very tough.”
It was the two-year-old’s third consecutive success following victories at Leicester and Wolverhampton in May.
Hamilton was back in the winner’s enclosure 30 minutes later after booting home Mister Fizzbomb (16-1) in the Westwood Handicap.
John Wainwright’s gelding, runner-up his last two starts, was always close to the pace before making his move after long-time leader Leo McGarry downed tools two furlongs from home.
Hamilton still had work to do, however, and needed all his strength to repel the late charge of second-placed Fonic Rock, who went down by a length.
“The trainer deserves a lot of credit because he told us to be patient with him as he ran poorly as a two-year-old,” explained winning owner Sam Enwright.
“Tony has also done well for us because he’s ridden him the last two times and told us to change the blinkers with a visor.
Robert Winston gave Riley Boys an inspired ride to win the McLean And Appleton Handicap.
James Given’s chestnut was last approaching the penultimate furlong but made eyecatching progress thereafter – even after Winston found himself short of room attempting a run on the inside.
But once a gap finally appeared on the far rail, Riley Boys picked up nicely to register his third victory at Beverley with one and three-quarters of a length to spare from market leader Augustine.
“He loves it round here and Robert gave him the right ride,” Given said of the 7-1 chance.
“Somehow he managed to wiggle his way through when it mattered and straight on up the champion’s (Jamie Spencer) inner, which was very nice.
“I don’t know what it is about this track – maybe the fact it’s right-handed - but he seems to come alive here.”
There was a sting in the tail for Winston, however, after he was hit with a two-day suspension (June 25-26) for careless riding.
Nigel Tinkler is enjoying a profitable season and saddled Sake (9-2) to a popular success in the Win A Red Ruby Here Next Thursday Fillies’ Handicap.
The four-year-old made full use of his favourable draw in the extended seven-furlong heat and showed a good attitude in the hands of Kim Tinkler to repel the determined challenge of Blue Empire.
“I’m thrilled and it makes all those early mornings worth it,” said winning owner Lara Dales, who rides out Sake.
“We shall look at either a race at Newcastle and Redcar now.”
