Local double for globe-trotting Swinbank
On trainer Alan Swinbank's first day out racing since Collier Hill won a £600,000 (€890,700) first prize in Hong Kong, Ring The Boss and Arctic Echo added a total of £8,132 (€12,100) to the stable coffers following two fine efforts at Catterick.
Phil Kinsella sent the former into the lead three out in the Book Tickets Online At catterickbridge.co.uk Handicap Hurdle and the six-year-old was always staying on just too well up the straight for Charlotte Vale.
The 11-10 market leader had four lengths to spare over the gallant mare at the line and Swinbank said: “It is nice to see this horse win. We have only had him a couple of weeks.
“He had been running over much longer trips than this, so I thought that on testing ground like today it would be worth trying him back over two miles.”
The ride on Arctic Echo in the Jack & The Beanstalk Novices’ Hurdle went to Graham Lee and after watching the 6-4 favourite score by 13 lengths from Ellerslie George, Richmond-based Swinbank added: “He stays well and I suppose we will have to look at handicaps now with him.
“We had 75 winners last year, Flat and jumps, so only another 74 to go to beat that now”!
Collier Hill, ridden by Dean McKeown, landed the Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in thrilling fashion last month and Swinbank went on: “That was a great day, but it is nice to have winners anywhere.
“Collier Hill came back bouncing. He has never been so well, so hopefully all goes well now as the plan is to go to Dubai in the spring.”
Kinsella completed a double of his own when Welcome To Unos (11-1) showed the way home in the Go Racing At Wetherby This Wednesday Handicap Chase, beating Sands Rising by five lengths.
Trainer Keith Reveley said: “Phil is a very good rider and a very nice lad into the bargain. I don’t think he is far off having his claim cut to three pounds and he won’t have any bother when he loses it altogether. He is with us and is very good schooling the horses.”
Winning owner Jim Andrews added: “Keith said he thought the horse would go well, but we were worried about whether he would handle the ground.”
Lee and Ferdy Murphy had a splendid final month of 2006 and they made a perfect start to the new year when the former initiated a personal brace as Poker De Sivola ran out a decisive winner of the opening Peter Pan Novices’ Hurdle.
The four-year-old went to the front at the penultimate flight and stayed on dourly to hold off favourite King Daniel by six lengths.
Murphy said of the 3-1 chance: “Maybe he just stays, but just look at him. He is a chaser in the making.”
Needwood Spirit (18-1) had reached the grand old age of 12 at midnight but showed he still has plenty of enthusiasm for racing in proving four lengths too good for Macreater in the Cinderella Selling Handicap Hurdle.
Trainer Muriel Naughton, who has a team of six at her Richmond base, retained him without a bid and said: “We keep going to retire him, but then he keeps feeling better so we keep running him while he is happy.
“I do some transporting for other trainers. Dandy (Nicholls) wanted me to take eight horses to Southwell, but I was keen to come here and I managed to get someone else to take them.”
Himalayan Trail (11-2) survived a blunder at the last fence to go on and beat Nine De Sivola by one and a quarter lengths in the Dick Whittingham Beginners’ Chase.
This was a 14th success for owner Keith Nicholson in 12 months and he said: “I have all my horses with Sue and Harvey (Smith), 22 in all. They are great people to be associated with.”
