Ajaan hits the bullseye at Pontefract
Ajaan has been called plenty of names over the past couple of seasons but showed he still retains plenty of ability with a plucky victory in the Phil Bull Trophy Conditions Stakes at Pontefract today.
Henry Cecil's six-year-old headed to Yorkshire with five victories to his name and a rating pushing 100, but he had looked less than co-operative in recent starts, with his last visit to the winner's enclosure coming in May 2008.
Following a number of disappointing efforts in competitive handicaps, the blinkers were left off for this change of tack to a small-field event, and it certainly appeared to do the trick.
Ian Mongan settled the 5-4 chance on the heels of the leaders before striking on rounding the turn for home.
While favourite Darley Sun came to make a race of it inside the final furlong, Ajaan appeared to want it more and battled on to score by three-quarters of a length.
Cecil's travelling head lad, William Brown, said: "He can be a bit temperamental but he's a horse with a lot of ability on his day."
Al Farahidi got the better of his better-fancied stable companion Sand Skier to land the Racing UK On Sky Channel 432 Handicap.
The latter was sent off the 5-4 favourite under Silvestre de Sousa, but Al Farahidi (16-1) dictated matters from the outset in the hands of Greg Fairley and kept up the gallop to score by two lengths.
Jock Bennett, assistant to trainer Mark Johnston, said: "He's a horse we've always thought had plenty of ability, it's just taken a while to get it out of him.
"It's not a huge shock."
Mahab El Shamaal coped best with the testing underfoot conditions when making a winning racecourse debut in the EBF totesport Day On Monday 18th October Maiden Stakes.
David Simcock's youngster (12-1) travelled kindly in the hands of Jack Mitchell before being produced to challenge inside the last furlong, pulling clear to score by two and a half lengths from She's Got The Luck.
The winning trainer's wife, Jenny Simcock, said: "Jack said he's done it well but he (Mahab El Shamaal) is still very babyish.
"He'll be a horse who'll get a mile and a half next year."
James Given's Jack Smudge completed a hat-trick with a game effort in the Ron And Joan Senior - Lifetimes In Racing Nursery.
The 6-1 chance arrived on the back of victories at Catterick and Sandown and quickened up well at the top of the straight before getting up to deny Robert The Painter by half the length.
"He's completed his hat-trick now so there is no pressure to run him again this season," said Given.
"We'll see how he is but he's probably more likely not to than he is to run again as that race has probably taken a bit out of him on that ground."
Winning rider Paul Mulrennan was found guilty of careless riding and will serve a one-day suspension on October 18.
Title-chasing jockey Paul Hanagan ensured he did not end the day without a victory as he guided Plan A to victory in an exciting renewal of the DEM Windows Solutions Handicap.
Mick Quinlan's 3-1 shot was strongly pressed by Palawi all the way up the straight but both horse and jockey were in determined mood and pulled out all of the stops to score by a head.
Noel Quinlan, brother and assistant to the winning trainer, said: "He's in at Goodwood on Sunday and while we'll have to have a look at the race, he'll probably run.
"He likes ease in the ground, but he doesn't have to have it bottomless."
Indian Valley (5-4 favourite) landed the Pontefract Disco Dines Claiming Stakes for De Sousa and Rae Guest, while the closing Buy Your 2011 Annual Badge Today Maiden went the way of Danehill Sunset (13-2) and Jimmy Fortune.
