Ennis raider claims Chipchase honours

Irish raider Confuchias got up close home to deny Appalachian Trail in the opening race on John Smith’s Northumberland Plate day at Newcastle.

Appalachian Trail looked like taking the Newcastle Brown Ale 80th Birthday Chipchase Stakes when he went on from Sierra Vista a furlong out.

However, Neil Callan stoked up Francis Ennis’s three-year-old to wear down the leader in the dying strides and win at odds of 12-1 by half-a-length. Fonthill Road was a length and a quarter away in third.

Ennis said: “This is my first winner in England. I’ve only had four or five runners here, so it’s some way to start.

“We didn’t run him at Ascot because of the ground, so we came here and dropped him back in trip and everything went to plan.

“He’s an improving horse and we might think of something like the Prix Maurice de Gheest as six and a half furlongs on soft ground would suit him ideally.”

Callan added: “This is my first ride for Mr Ennis. When I started in Ireland I did not have many rides anyway.

“Confuchias is a very nice horse. This ground really suited him and I think he could turn out to be a top sprinter. The Haydock Park Sprint in September could be an ideal race for him.”

Fayr Jag lost all chance at the start. He appeared to still have the hood on as the stalls opened and by the time David Allan had the eight-year-old on an even keel, the rest of the field were many lengths clear and had switched to the far side of the course in search of better ground.

Allan said: “The horse went up and I lost an iron as the stalls opened and he still had the blind on. I had no chance after that.”