Rising steps out of the shadows
David Barron has the Ayr Gold Cup on his mind after Rising Shadow landed the feature race on Ripon’s traditional Children’s Day, the Armstrong Memorial Handicap.
The five-year-old has raced against some of the best sprint handicappers around in the past couple of seasons and Barron believes he deserves his own spell in the spotlight.
Ridden by Paul Fessey, the son of Efisio got up in the last stride to deny Howard Johnson’s Rainbow Rising, who was returning to form after a spell in the doldrums, by a short head.
The first two both drifted into the middle of the track and had a ding-dong battle in the final furlong, with Barron’s charge getting the verdict from the judge to the surprise of most punters at 15-2.
The consistent Knot In Wood ran on for third, one and a quarter lengths away, while favourite Ice Planet stayed on one-paced in fourth.
“If I’d have had to stake my life on it I would have just said he had got up,” said Barron.
“The rain was a definite help. When we declared him the ground was too firm for him to run, but rain was forecast and thankfully it came.
“He just needs to get his toe in a little and we’d never risk him on quick ground.
“We thought he was a good thing at York back in May when he was beaten by Borderlescott, but that doesn’t look such a bad run now, does it!
“He’ll be aimed at all the big sprint handicaps and the Ayr Gold Cup will be a target, but only if the ground was on the soft side. But it doesn’t tend to get that soft any more at Ayr.”
Nelsons Column (4-1) completed his hat-trick in fine style under Paul Mulrennan in the Weatherbys Insurance Handicap for George Moore.
A course and distance winner back in July after scoring at Beverley two weeks previously, this was his easiest victory to date and suggested there is more to come from the son of 1997 Derby hero Benny The Dip.
Always prominent, the joint-favourite took three lengths out of the field at the three furlong marker and coasted home for a smooth two-length victory from My Arch, whose rider Neil Callan was handed a two-day ban for careless riding (August 18 and 19).
The winner is quite appropriately named as he only has one eye.
“We are keeping him to right-handed tracks because when he goes the other way around he can’t see the horses,” said Moore.
“This way he can see the rail and he seems to enjoy it so we’ll keep it as it is.
“He’ll go up another couple of pounds for this but he’s still improving. When Paul came into the paddock he told me he was confident he would win because he had ridden him at Beverley.
“He’ll get further and he’ll make a jumper one day. I just hope he doesn’t get any mud in his good eye!”
Ian Semple’s Big Timer lived up to his name in the opener, the BBC Radio York 103.7FM & 104.3FM EBF Novice Stakes.
In a small but select field, all five runners had won a race but when Tom Eaves finally found racing room on the 7-1 chance he careered away for a four-length victory from Fool Me.
“We knew he was good but not that good,” smiled Tom Bogle, assistant trainer to Semple.
“He’s only a shell of a horse really but two months ago he suddenly started to fill out and changed overnight.
“I was slightly worried when Tom was a bit short of room and I was just thinking ‘don’t get boxed in in a five-horse race’ but as soon as he saw a gap he flew.
“I think our biggest problem will be holding on for him. We had five bids after he won at Ayr.
“The boss has a Group race at Newbury in mind for him I think.”
There was a sting in the tail for Eaves, who was handed a two-day ban (August 18 and 19) for careless riding when he made his race-winning move.
Michael Fenton made most of the running on Tom Tate’s Raucous (8-1) in the Black Sheep Brewery Maiden.
Despite the presence of the Luca Cumani, Sir Michael Stoute and Ed Dunlop yards, Tate’s three-year-old showed a smart turn of foot and real guts to hold off the late challenge of Tim Easterby’s Behlaya (7-1) by a neck.
Cumani’s Phebe was sent off the well-backed 5-4 favourite but despite threatening to come with a run two furlongs out she was soon back-peddling.
“He goes on firm ground as well as the soft,” said Tate. “We will have plenty of options with him, we’ll just have to see what the handicapper does.
“The owners have been very lucky for me with the likes of Dr Sharp and The Duke’s Speech and it looks like they’ve got another decent one.”
James Bethell’s Fossgate (9-1) won the finale, the bbc.co.uk/northyorkshire Website Handicap under a fine ride from 5lb claimer Andrew Elliott.
Despite hanging badly in the closing stages, he still had enough to see off long-time leader Jumeirah Scarer by two and a half lengths. The Pen stayed on for third.
“Andrew gave him a great ride and that is his second winner for me,” said Bethell. “He hung badly again and he is inclined to do that.”
The RBS Invoice Finance Selling Handicap went the way of John Best’s Epineuse (10-1) under Martin Dwyer.
After disappointing badly on rain-softened ground at Bath last time, she returned to form in no uncertain terms and held off Slipperfoot, ridden by Graham Gibbons, by a neck.
Gibbons was handed a three-day suspension however – two days for using his whip with excessive frequency and a further day for not riding to his draw.
He will miss 18-20 August inclusive. Jimmy Quinn will also miss August 18 for not riding to his draw on Martharum.
