Ella takes Ponte prize
Ella put up a gutsy display in the mud to open her account in the Ladbrokes Fillies’ Handicap at Pontefract.
Her pedigree hinted the daughter of Pivotal might cope with the tough conditions and being out of the 1999 November Handicap winner Flossy, she had the stamina to make all the running over this extended mile and a quarter.
Henry Cecil’s Born Tobouggie was the only serious challenger but she brushed the 7-4 favourite aside to go on and win by five lengths.
Neil Callan was as easy as he could be on the 11-4 shot, who only made her debut in January, in the gruelling conditions.
“She’s done nothing wrong but she had a few niggly little problems when we first got her,” said trainer Alan Swinbank.
“She’s coming into herself now and what we want to do is to keep going and try to get some black type so the boss (Guy Reed) can get her covered.
“I heard Henry Cecil thinks a lot of his filly, but Mr Reed did say the softer the better and the rain came in time.”
Owner-breeder Reed added: “She did it well in the ground. She has some breeding that has stamina and I think she would get a mile and a half but perhaps not on this ground – I’m surprised we’ve been able to race.”
In the Friends of the Northern Racing College Handicap, Force Group (9-4 joint-favourite) followed up his victory over the course and distance nine days earlier but it was hard work in the deteriorating conditions.
After kicking on in the short straight, his stride shortened in the final half-furlong but he held on for Paul Mulrennan by three-quarters of a length from Mandalay Prince.
“That was hard work in this ground, but he’s won again which is good,” said trainer Mark Tompkins.
“He had a long time off last year, but he’s won two and I think he’ll win again, maybe over a bit further and on better ground.”
Allied Powers (5-2) gained compensation for a narrow defeat at Haydock on Saturday with a convincing success in the Coralbet By Freephone 0800 242 232 Handicap.
Storming past long-time leader Blimey O’Riley, Michael Bell’s runner shot clear by four lengths in the hands of 3lb claimer Travis Block.
“He was unlucky at Haydock where he was beaten two short heads. He was boxed in, stuck in a pocket and flew home. We were hoping that race hadn’t taken too much out of him,” said trainer Michael Bell’s representative Tim Dennis.
“We’ll probably try to find a similar race for him. His mother handled that ground very well so we were confident he would.
“He’s won nicely so we’ll have to see what the handicapper does.”
The David Barron-trained Dispol Isle (14-1) came with a wet sail to land the skybet.com Handicap, which was run in a downpour as seven millimetres of rain fell during the afternoon.
The six-year-old mare had plenty to do in the straight but she responded gamely to Paul Fessey’s urgings to get home by a length and three-quarters from Hula Ballew.
“She likes the soft but she hadn’t run for almost six months so it was quite pleasing to see her win,” said owner Bill Imison.
Toby Tyler (12-1) gave trainer Paul Midgley his third individual two-year-old winner of the campaign when making a successful debut in the EBF betdirect.com Maiden Stakes.
Suited by the testing conditions, Jamie Moriarty’s mount pulled away to beat Cutting Comments by a length and a quarter.
“When we bought him he was a big, ugly so and so. He’s always been straightforward at home and probably wants seven furlongs. He loved the ground which was a big help,” said Midgley.
Ephorus (6-1) was Sir Michael Stoute’s only runner at the West Yorkshire track and the once-raced Galileo colt obliged in the totesport.com Maiden Stakes.
Despite drifting from 5-2, Ephorus dug deep for Jean-Pierre Guillambert and held Sir Royal by half-a-length.
“His breeding suggested he would like the ground and he did it well at the finish,” said Stoute’s travelling head lad, Jimmy Scott.
