Second Race winner’s quotes
Rolf Group Stewards’ Sprint
DANDY CLEANS UP WITH SPRINT RACE ONE-TWO
Yorkshire trainer Dandy Nicholls doesn’t just win sprint handicaps, he lands the places too.
He saddled the first and second in today’s Rolf Group Stewards’ Sprint - a good omen for his three runners in tomorrow’s Bluesq.com Stewards’ Cup - when Joseph Henry scraped home from Victoire De Lyphar. This was Nicholls’ fifth win in the race in 11 seasons, and the winning jockey, David Probert, was riding for the stable for the first time.
Nicholls, who ran six in the contest, said: "If you get given the right horses you can run them in the right races and win. That’s what they pay me to do. Fair play to the staff, the yard and the horses because they all ran blinders. It’s hard to come to a big meeting and get all the horses to run well on the day.
"I’m pleased for Billy Hughes [Joseph Henry’s owner] who has been a long-time patron of the yard."
Nicholls was also full of praise for Victoire De Lyphar, a three-year-old of size and scope. He said: "Patrick Haslam bought the horse and I inherited him from there. There’s been no point hiding around the corner with him, but he’s very nice. He’s young and big and where he will end up I don’t know, but he’s one of the best horses I’ve trained. He’s a lovely horse."
Winning owner Hughes said: "I’m absolutely elated. He’s so often been the bridesmaid, but today’s his day. Dandy trains him so well because he’s taken us to all the big tracks and all the festival meetings like York, Ascot and Goodwood. It’s a pleasure to be involved with him."
David Probert added: "Victoire De Lyphar has got plenty of early toe so I followed him and this fellow has won over a mile, so I just needed to keep him going forward. Fair play to him, he has knuckled down and done the job well.
"The winners yesterday in the sprints came down the stands’ to middle side and I wanted to edge over a little bit. He jumped out well and he has done it alright in the end."
Second race place quotes -
Rolf Group Stewards’ Sprint Handicap
TIDDLIWINKS AND WILDCAT - CONNECTIONS REFLECT
North Yorkshire trainer Kevin Ryan is looking ahead at two of the season’s biggest sprint handicaps after Tiddliwinks finished fourth in the six-furlong Rolf Group Stewards’ Sprint under Neil Callan.
The 10/1 shot, who was drawn in stall one, finished less than a length and a half behind the victorious Joseph Henry and was only a nose behind third-placed Wildcat Wizard.
Ryan revealed: "He ran very well and was a bit unfortunate really. He only had one other horse to race with down the stands’ side rail so he has probably been unlucky.
"He ran a great race to be fourth at York last Saturday and another good race here - I think there is a big one in him.
"We will look at the Portland at Doncaster and we will most likely put him in the Ayr Gold Cup too."
Wildcat Wizard, sent off at 25/1 and drawn in stall 20, was a head and a length and a quarter behind the victorious Joseph Henry and runner-up Victoire De Lyphar, both of whom are trained by Dandy Nicholls.
The gelding’s trainer Paul Cole said: "He has run a good race so we’re pleased. He likes these straight tracks, they suit him well. He was wiped out at Windsor in June and had a bad draw last time.
"He had to swap twice here so he has run very well to finish fourth from where he was. If he hadn’t had to do that he would have been right there."
Third race win quotes -
totesport Mile (Heritage Handicap)
FFRENCH AND JOHNSTON LORD IT IN totesport MILE
Royston Ffrench guided Sea Lord to a battling front-running victory in the totesport mile to give trainer Mark Johnston his fourth success in the heritage handicap, following on from Fly To The Stars (1997), Riberac (2001) and Laa Rayb (2009).
The 6/1 second favourite jumped from stall 16 and made all for a three quarters of a length triumph over Invisible Man, the pair clear.
Ffrench commented: "It’s very tough to win from the front like that. You have got to get the fractions right and you need a horse that can do it. Fortunately, I had a good horse on my side. Mr Johnston’s horses don’t know how to give in. It was a typical Mark Johnston winner - a great performance.
"The draw is vital in a race like that. You have got to use it to your advantage and I was able to do that.
"I spent some time riding in California a few years back and I am able to clock the race in my head. It’s like anything, the more you do something it becomes second nature. In a race like that you are talking about 12 to 13 seconds a furlong in the early stages then 11 or 10 seconds, if the horse is good enough, in the later stages.
"I knew something was coming to challenge about a furlong and a half out but my fella found more and kept going."
Johnston is considering running the tough three-year-old Cape Cross colt in tomorrow’s Listed Bluesq.com "For Five Places In Stewards’ Cup" Stakes.
He said: "It’s a far from easy race to win and we had a terrible dilemma with a horse like this, who is above handicap level really. Do you run in a handicap for the prize money, when you are in the lap of the gods a little bit, or do you go for the Listed race tomorrow, which is what he should be in?
"I have so many handicappers and it does get a little bit frustrating when the good horses are getting beaten by the weight rather than by horses of better ability. That is just a sad fact of handicap racing - it’s great when a horse like this wins but, when they get beaten, you feel that you should have out them in a level weights race. I am sure that the future for him will be in Listed or Group company.
"He is declared to run tomorrow and, whether he can realistically do that, I will have to see how he is. It’s a possibility but it would be a lot to ask of him and we would be putting our heads on the block. There is the question of whether the incentive is there if there is any chance of doing any damage to the horse. We have a bit of thinking to do.
"He looks really well and he hasn’t really had a hard campaign. People say that he has won quite a few times but he doesn’t do a lot at home in between. I am forever trying to stress that he hasn’t galloped since winter time - we just give him routine cantering and he goes to the racecourse to do his gallop.
"Invisible Man looked like he was going incredible well and I wasn’t feeling confident heading into the final furlong because the runner-up loomed up very easily but he always finds more.
"I feel a little bit sorry for Frankie (Dettori on the runner-up) because it should have been his ride at Newmarket and he had to ride the Godolphin horse here. I am sure that he will ride the horse again in the future but they were two nice horses in the finish."
Third Race placed quotes
totesport Mile (Heritage Handicap)
INVISIBLE MAN MAKES HIS PRESENCE FELT
Invisible Man has become a very visible horse in major mile handicaps this season.
He won the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot last month, and today finished runner-up in the totesport Mile behind Sea Lord. The result was a one-two for son and father, for Sea Lord is owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, while Invisible Man carries the colours of Godolphin’s Sheikh Mohammed.
Saeed bin Suroor, who trains Invisible Man, said: "I’m really pleased, because the horse has always shown plenty of class and speed and the blinkers have helped him a lot. We put them on him at Ascot and it made a difference.
"He was simply beaten by a better horse today, but a furlong out I thought we were going to win. We will keep him to handicaps and take a look at what is available over this trip at York."
York is also likely to be the destination for the Nigel Tinkler-trained Webbow, who finished fourth in last year’s totesport Mile and today went one place better.
Tinkler said: "He ran marvellously again. He was given a lovely ride by Louis [Philippe Beuzelin] and we couldn’t be more pleased. It would have been nice to beat the two sheikhs, but at least we are up there with our horse. He’s netted more than £12,000 for his efforts."
Webbow has not won for three years, but Tinkler said: "We’re going for the big pots, and I suppose he could have won a little race on today’s effort, but he’s giving the owners great fun and that’s what racing is all about."