Manouche scores all-the-way win
Forcing tactics paid dividends for Manouche when Kevin Ryan’s charge held off the 8-11 favourite Historic Appeal by half a length in the Jock Whitelaw Maiden Stakes at Musselburgh.
Neil Callan set a searching pace on going described as heavy, soft in places, and he soon had most of his rivals in trouble but it was not until inside the final furlong that he saw off the persistent runner-up.
Ryan said: “Obviously he’s fairly fit off the all-weather and Neil just bounced him out and went a good gallop.
“There were some horses here having their first run of the year while he was fit so he put it up to them and if they were going to beat him, they would have to do it the hard way.”
John Forbes was another to make all the running when he galloped home under Pat Cosgrave, eight lengths clear of Hernando’s Boy in the Lothian Handicap over a stamina-sapping two miles.
It was the four-year-old’s first attempt at the trip and trainer Brian Ellison said: “I said to Pat not to worry about getting the trip. 'If he gets it or doesn’t get it, just let him make the running and let him enjoy it.'
“He loves the ground. That’s the main thing, and he stayed well.”
Dancing Lyra is proving a real money-spinner for the Richard Fahey stable and he took his tally to two wins from as many starts for the Malton trainer with a narrow victory in the DM Hall Handicap.
Fahey bought the five-year-old for 25,000 guineas at the Newmarket sales in October and he made a successful start for new connections at Southwell a week ago.
On the strength of that run, Dancing Lyra was sent off the 5-6 favourite and in the end he had to dig deep for Paul Hanagan to get the better of Emerald Bay by a head.
“This horse loves this ground to be fair,” said Fahey.
“I just hope the handicapper doesn’t get excited now but if he goes up a bit he might get into a half-decent race.
“I might give him a break now and bring him back for the York May meeting.”
Ingleby Image showed her rivals a clean pair of heels in the Caledonian Produce Doug’s Leaving Do Maiden Auction Stakes as she came clear to beat My Mirasol in good style by three lengths.
Ingleby Image was backed from 9-1 into 6-1 and her trainer, David Barron, was not surprised to see her win.
He said: “She’s a quick little thing and she was ready to run but you never know if they are going to get home the way the ground is. If she stayed, she won.”
Robert Winston brought Dorn Dancer with a late rattle to take the Wallyford Fillies’ Handicap.
Trainer David Barker said: “The rest of them all stopped, that’s what’s happened there.
“She’s handled the ground. It was survival of the fittest in that ground.”
Winston went on to complete an 18-1 double on the front-running Garlogs (11-8 favourite) in the closing Balcarres Handicap for Tarporley trainer Alan Bailey.
There was a turn-up in the Rectangle Group Handicap when 16-1 shot Attacca got home by a neck from Insubordinate.
