Treble top for Fahey and Hanagan
Richard Fahey’s terrific run continued when he completed a 503-1 treble with Jeannie Galloway, Faithful Ruler and She’s In The Money – all three ridden by stable jockey Paul Hanagan – on the first afternoon of Ayr’s three-day Western meeting.
There was a poignant start to proceedings when the jockeys assembled in the parade ring before the first race, with a lone piper played Amazing Grace in memory of apprentices Jamie Kyne and Jan Wilson, who were tragically killed in a fire at Malton.
Hanagan had been a pallbearer at Kyne’s funeral mass earlier in the day and so it was appropriate he opened the Malton duo’s scoring aboard Jeannie Galloway in the Millar Callaghan 10th Anniversary Maiden Auction Stakes.
Fahey said: “Paul has been very professional. It’s very tough for everybody, everyone in Malton is very down. It is a tough time.”
He added of the 7-1 winner: “This is her first run for us and I thought she would win, although it did look a warm race.
“She is owned by David Renwick, who used to be caddie to (top golfer) Vijay Singh, and I will step her up in trip now – it is great to have a winner at this meeting.”
Faithful Ruler (8-1) came out best in the first division of the John Smith’s Handicap and his Scottish owner George Murray certainly had faith in Fahey, as he flew in from Dubai to see the horse run.
Fahey went on: “This horse has done well on the all-weather, but we are still leaning about him on the grass and we will have to try and find another race for him before George goes back to Dubai.”
She’s In The Money made it three in the racingpost.com Handicap, but the only surprise to Fahey was her price as he added: “She was very unlucky not to win at Newcastle last time and I thought she would be 6-4 today (returned 6-1 having been an 8-1 chance at one stage).”
Noel Wilson is enjoying his best season in terms of prize-money won and he was on the mark again when 9-1 chance Demolition won the featured £20,00 williamhill.com/bonus25 Handicap under Gary Bartley.
Wilson said: “We only have 23 horses in the yard, but that is our 16th winner of the year and hopefully we can beat our best score of 23, which we had last year.
“Gary has had six winners from 12 rides for us this season and is well worth his 5lb claim. The plan is to run Demolition here again over one mile, five furlongs on Saturday.”
Liam Keniry flew up for one ride and made the trip pay when Simenon justified 13-8 favouritism in the European Breeders’ Fund Novice Stakes.
Winning trainer Andrew Balding’s representative, Richard Philips, said: “Liam said from day one we would see the best of Simenon when he stepped up to a mile.
“I think the plan now will be for him to go for the Listed (totepool) Silver Tankard at Pontefract (on October 19).”
Tim Easterby’s team is also in good form, completing a double with Medici Time, who took the Brewin Dolphin Investment Management Handicap, and Collateral Damage, who gamely landed the concluding second division of the John Smith’s Handicap.
Medici Time (22-1) was ridden by Richard Mullen and Easterby said: “When we ran him in the greys’ race at Newmarket last time, he ran a bit flat and I think it must have come too soon after his win at Haydock.
David Allan was on board Collateral Damage (7-4 favourite) and gave him a cracking ride to get him home in front in the best finish of the afternoon.
Easterby added: “Collateral Damage could go for the final of the Straight-Mile Championship at Redcar.”
John Harris’s decision to send Applaude (22-1) on the 580-mile round trip from his Leicestershire home was rewarded with success under Phillip Makin in the John Smith’s Selling Stakes.
Harris went to 7,500gns to retain him at the ensuing auction and said: “We claimed him after he had given owner Guy Reed his 500th winner at Haydock.
“In all fairness his trainer Alan Swinbank said the horse was a bit of a character and although he has got ability, he is not a horse I would trust.”
