Hughes a success on Key To Love at Folkestone
Richard Hughes wasted no time getting back among the winners following his return from a 14-day suspension when scoring aboard Key To Love at Folkestone.
The rider missed out on a host of top-class races, including the Ladbrokes St Leger, while sidelined under the totting-up procedure, but struck in the Garden Of England Nursery on just his second mount back.
Hughes always had the 3-1 chance well placed and the filly strode out in good style to score comfortably and provide trainer Harry Dunlop with his first winner in 26 days.
“I have been playing a bit of golf but it is good to be back, although I am blowing a bit,” said Hughes.
The jockey almost doubled up in the Stone Of Folca Novice Stakes when finishing late and fast aboard Richard Hannon’s Ginobili.
The colt came with a strong challenge but found his front-running stablemate Daddy’s Gift (5-2) half a length too strong under Ryan Moore.
Constant drizzle caused 22 withdrawals during the afternoon, but conditions proved no problem to Henry Candy’s Rum Jungle in the Hythe Handicap.
The giant four-year-old’s only previous win came under Frankie McDonald and the jockey made it two from two aboard the 11-4 chance when making all for a length-and-a-half success.
Candy said: “The rain has helped him today, and he gets on well with Frankie who has won on him before.”
The damp conditions almost led to the absence of Azygous in the lipscomb.co.uk Handicap, but trainer Jon Akehurst held his nerve and was rewarded as Alan Munro brought the five-year-old home a length clear of the field.
Sporting blinkers for the first time, the 9-1 chance cut down Bookiesindex Boy inside the final furlong of the minimum-distance dash to prove the softened surface was no barrier to success.
Akehurst said: “If this had been the second or third race we would have pulled him out as he has not gone on that ground in the past, but we did fancy him.
“We put the blinkers on him last Wednesday and he flew in them, so I’m glad we didn’t pull him out.”
Munro picked up a two-day suspension (October 7 and 8) having been deemed guilty of careless riding.
The underfoot surface was changed to soft soon after the third race – the Romney Marsh Maiden Stakes, which went the way of Clive Cox’s Perfect Silence (6-1).
Adam Kirby took up the running with two furlongs left to cover and soon had first prize in safe keeping, with his mount stretching away to cross the line three and a quarter lengths clear.
Timocracy made the long journey to the south coast from Mark Johnston’s Middleham stable only to come off second best to 7-2 chance Any Given Day in the mile-and-a-half Rye Handicap.
The closing Garden Coast Handicap was reduced to just six runners after eight withdrawals, and Sortita (7-2) capitalised on the reduced field to collect by half a length.
