Lacklustre start for Rooney colt

Wayne Rooney made an inauspicious start as a racehorse owner when Pippy, his first runner, finished last in the Manor House Stables Lily Agnes Stakes at Chester.

The two-year-old colt, making his debut, was always towards the rear after a slow start and he never got into the race which was run on rain-softened ground.

However, his jockey Richard Kingscote made sure the Tom Dascombe-trained youngster, wearing the colours of the Manchester United and England soccer star and his wife Coleen, got some experience without giving him a hard race in the testing conditions.

“When I went down to the stables I was very impressed and I’ve got three horses there now,” said Rooney.

“The name was just what my wife got called when she was younger.”

Meanwhile at the head of affairs, All Fur Coat (9-2) made her racecourse knowledge count as the Jo Hughes-trained filly ran out a convincing winner on her third start.

Ridden by course specialist Franny Norton, she sailed to victory by two and three-quarter lengths from the 11-4 favourite Just Past Andover with Baddilini a further length and a quarter away in third.

Only eight horses took part after five were pulled out and Dreamy Ciara was withdrawn after unshipping Padraig Beggy at the start.