Gimasha delight for Jarvis
William Jarvis, without a winner for a fortnight, got back on the scoreboard again when Gimasha struck in the £20,000 betfredpoker.com Handicap at Lingfield.
And she was given a fine ride by the in-form Alan Munro, who let her bowl along on the rails to eventually beat Obe Gold and Borderlescott by a length and a quarter and a neck.
Mick Pearce, Jarvis’ pupil assistant, said of the 11-1 winner: “The filly is as tough as old boots and loves to play come and get me. She can be a bit touchy and has to be walked all the way to the start.”
Walter Swinburn brought a horse to the track for a stalls test before racing only for it to fail.
However, there was better news for the Hertfordshire trainer when his gelding Clipperdown took the European Breeders Fund Handicap under Richard Quinn.
The combination led approaching the final furlong and the 11-2 shot then held off Ofaraby by a length.
Swinburn said: “He is a horse who has come a long way this season. It looks as if he could go round again. We tied his tongue down last time and it has worked again today.
“He is in the Cambridgeshire and I hope he will get in – he looks the type.”
Totesport have the son of Green Desert at 33-1 for the first leg of the ‘autumn double’, for which Clipperdown gets a 5lb penalty for this win.
Sirce, a 10-1 chance, upset Frankie Dettori on 2-1 favourite Masquerader in the Norman Hill Memorial Handicap to keep her relationship with Jimmy Quinn on the boil.
Dettori set out to make all on the Godolphin colt but was found wanting by Sirce, who had a length and a half to spare at the post having stayed on well from the two-furlong pole.
Dennis Coakley, who trains the winner, said “What a team. Jimmy has ridden her four times and won every time. She needs it soft to show her best on turf and I thought the all-weather surface would suit her.”
Jamie Spencer kept up his gallop at the top of the jockeys’ table by taking the opening Gigabyte Technology Maiden Stakes on Scottish Stage.
The Sir Michael Stoute-trained filly, a 4-1 chance, came from last to first to lead almost on the line and collar Mary Delaney to score by a neck.
Spencer said: “She is a promising filly, although she has to do it all her own way. They went slowly and she got a bump on the bend, but although it was her first run she shrugged that off. It was a pleasing debut.”
Conjuror (7-1) pulled the seven-furlong Acute Construction Handicap out of the hat for Andrew Balding and Martin Dwyer with a plucky performance, making the most of the running to score by a neck and four lengths from Pillars of Wisdom and Armagnac.
The closing betfredcasino.com handicap went to Malahem and Richard Hills in the Sheikh Hamdan colours.
Trained by John Gosden, the 5-1 chance came on the scene late to beat She’s My Outsider by a length and three quarters.
