Deal delivers in Derby
Mick Easterby made a victorious first visit to Lingfield as Gentleman’s Deal maintained his unbeaten run on the all-weather in the Betdirect Winter Derby.
Despite having sent out runners from Sheriff Hutton since 1955, the colourful 77-year-old had never previously made a trip to the Surrey venue.
That all changed as his giant six-year-old, sent off the 4-1 joint favourite, regained the lead – having been handy early on – inside the final furlong to collect by a neck in the £100,000 (€147,000) Group Three contest.
Last year’s runner-up Grand Passion again had to settle for second place ahead of Illustrious Blue, who was the same distance away in third.
“It’s unbelievable – what a horse he is,” said Easterby. “He is such a gentleman and his manners are unbelievable.”
Gentleman’s Deal was cut into 8-1 favouritism for next weekend’s William Hill Lincoln at Newcastle with the sponsors, Paddy Power and Blue Square, although Stan James offer 10-1.
Easterby added: “He’ll probably run at Newcastle if the ground is good.”
Gentleman’s Deal combines racing with his duties as a stallion and is set to return to stud shortly.
“He covered 40 mares last year and he’s got 50 mares waiting for him,” Easterby explained. “He is very fertile and will be covering mares until about July time. I will probably bring him back next year and race him as he is such a great horse.”
Mulrennan added: “This horse has been so good to me this winter. He gave me my first Listed winner and has now given me my first Group winner. He is just a machine and I have never sat on anything like him. He travelled well and as soon as I pushed the button, off he went.”
The winner’s market rival Blue Bajan was not far away in fifth, but Alfie Flits, who made much of the running, weakened rapidly in the final furlong to fade to second-last at the death.
John Egan took fourth aboard Mighty but was suspended for two days (April 3-4) for causing interference to Cusoon three furlongs out.
John Pierre-Guillambert rode his rivals to sleep to land the £75,000 betdirectuk.com Spring Cup aboard the front-running Hinton Admiral.
Mark Johnston’s three-year-old was backed in from 11-2 to 7-2 and was ridden was a certain amount of confidence in the seven-furlong heat.
After breaking smartly from stall three, the colt made all and kept to his task in good style in the closing stages to hold the late challenge of 11-4 favourite Hurricane Spirit.
Johnston’s assistant trainer Jock Bennett said: “He won from the front around here in October so we thought we’d ride him that way again. He was rated 103 before this and he is bound to go up again, so he will face a rise in class and he should cope with it.”
Johnston was denied a double in the betdirectpoker.com Maiden Stakes as the Paul Cole-trained Pippa Greene (9-1) nailed his Old Etonian by a neck.
Cole’s son Oliver said: “He is a nice sort and will make up into a proper horse. He will get further and we will put him away for the grass now.”
Kevin Ryan is planning to burn the midnight oil and map out a plan for King Orchisios after his four-year-old plundered the 32Red.com Hever Sprint Stakes.
The 6-1 shot was landing a double at Listed level in the five-furlong dash, and although he took a while a hit top speed, Neil Callan drove his mount into the lead inside the distance to hold Bonus by half a length.
Ryan said: “We knew there would be plenty of pace in the race so we dropped him in. He has always been a good horse and this performance has rubber-stamped that.
“He will have a break of about three weeks now and I will need to sit down and work out where to send him. He does like fast ground and he could be a good horse to campaign abroad.”
The betdirectuk.com Get Involved Handicap was turned into a procession by Red Cape, who relished the step back up to seven furlongs under John Egan.
Having travelled strongly just behind the leaders, the 15-2 shot hit the front inside the distance and surged clear to cross the line a length and a half in front of Yarqus.
Winning trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam said: “I have tried him at Southwell and Wolverhampton, but this is his track. He’ll be back here if I find a race for him and I am looking forward to racing him on turf, too.”
Big Timer failed to fire for Ian Semple in the Spring Cup but better was to come for the Lanarkshire handler as Kames Park quickened impressively off a slow pace to take the Bonusprint.com Handicap at odds of 5-2.
The David Elsworth-trained Warm Embraces (11-4) built on a promising debut to get off the mark stepped up to a mile under Marc Halford in the Digital Prints From Bonusprint Maiden Stakes.
The Seb Sanders-ridden Lopinot (7-4) sent favourite backers home happy by sprouting wings to fly home in the closing 32Red.com Handicap.
