Local success for Stokell
North Yorkshire trainer-jockey Ann Stokell is not afraid to travel far and wide in search of success but needed only a short drive from her yard to get back among the winners as she partnered Lord Mayfair to victory at Catterick.
The four-year-old was having his 22nd race when lining up in the We Race Again Next Wednesday Median Maiden Auction Stakes and was a 40-1 chance to record that elusive first win.
But he flew out of the stalls and made the rest of the running, having his rivals in trouble with a quarter of a mile to race and keeping up the gallop to pass the post with four lengths to spare over 100-1 chance Graceful Flight.
The win was a surprise to most, but not to Miss Stokell, who trains Lord Mayfair for her sister Canon and is based at nearby Brompton on Swale.
“He has not been beaten far on his last four or five runs, but the trouble is he gets so worked up and runs half a race beforehand,” she said.
“We took him down to Folkestone last time and I fancied him but he got upset again and that was that – but he has always had ability and let’s hope he will settle down now.”
Mark Johnston’s Kirklees had run with some promise on his debut at Thirsk and he improved on that to record a convincing victory in the EBF Zetland median Maiden Auction Stakes.
Joe Fanning sent the 4-9 favourite to the front from the outset and always travelling well, he had his three rivals in trouble approaching the final quarter mile and drew away to score by five lengths from Pires.
Middleham trainer Johnston said: “It is hard to say where he is in the pecking order at the moment.
“We have so many middle-distance types ready to run at the same time now so we will have to see.”
The stable has hit form in recent weeks with 10 winners during Royal Ascot week, three of them at the big meeting itself, and Johnston added: “They are running well now, there are one or two which we are still not happy with but we are getting there.”
Valley Of The Moon has been steadily improving and she made it third time lucky in the hands of Paul Hanagan in the EBF Maiden Stakes.
The favourite Malaaq was disputing the lead about a furlong out but Hanagan brought his mount with a sustained run to get up close home and score by a neck from Durova.
Winning trainer Richard Fahey said of the 9-2 chance: “She has kept on improving but the task was made a lot easier with the favourite disappointing.
“I don’t know what we will do now but she should get six furlongs and we may look for a nursery somewhere.”
Darryll Holland judged things to perfection as he brought James Bethell’s Abstract Folly from last to first to win the Stockton Handicap by a neck from Melvino, although he won a shade cosier than the official margin would suggest.
Bethell said: “I think it has been a bit of trial and error with him but that seems to be the way to ride him. He is in a mile-and-a-quarter race at Ayr on Sunday but I think we will leave him at a mile and a half now.”
Alan Swinbank only decided to declare Hartshead (5-2 favourite) for the catterickbridge.co.uk Handicap when the race was re-opened but the move reaped a winning dividend as Dean McKeown got the top weight home with nothing to spare over Byron Bay.
Swinbank’s assistant Bill Haigh said: “We had been in two minds whether to run but Alan felt he might as well have a go when it cut up.
“He had run well last time at Newcastle and we were going to keep him for the Beeswing back there and he could still go for that one of course.”
Jean-Pierre Guillambert rode his first winner for Tim Easterby when he brought 10-1 chance Ryedane home in front by a neck from Kings College Boy in the Project Management Scotland Handicap, after which the trainer’s father Peter said: “This horse won here last year and then at Wolverhampton but then lost his form.”
