McEvoy hits Salisbury treble
Kerrin McEvoy was in unstoppable form at Salisbury, notching a 535-1 treble including two winners for Sir Michael Stoute.
The Australian rider teamed up with Stoute’s Shorthand to win at Nottingham on Tuesday, and the pair picked up where they left off with Spume (9-2) in the first division of the Allied Irish Bank Southampton EBF Maiden Stakes.
The Alhaarth colt, who is entered for next year’s Vodafone Derby, picked up well for McEvoy to gun down the 6-5 favourite Coeur De Lionne by three-quarters of a length.
“For a stride or two the penny didn’t drop,” said McEvoy. “I was a little bit unsure when I pulled him out but then he suddenly got the hang of it and picked up. I think he’d appreciate a bit further.”
Ladies Best (11-2) took full advantage of the furious pace set by Cry Presto in Division Two.
Delivering his mount on the outer, McEvoy swooped to conquer inside the distance and the combination pulled two and a half lengths clear of Actodos.
McEvoy said: “He’s still weak and babyish and he surprised me how he picked up as he wasn’t going that well at halfway.”
McEvoy rounded off his hat-trick when 14-1 shot Hoh Hoh Hoh caused a minor upset in the Wood BMW Handicap.
Greek Renaissance was sent off the 4-7 favourite and he looked to take it up inside the final furlong but McEvoy rallied his mount to gain a short-head win.
On what proved a tricky day for favourite-backers, Tembanee struck another blow when trumping the well-backed 11-8 market leader Aqmaar in the Portway EBF Novice Stakes.
Richard Hannon’s winner was not without his supporters and the 11-2 chance, ridden by Richard Hughes, pulled a length and a quarter clear after gaining control at the furlong marker.
Hannon said: “Steve Knight rode him early in the season and swore he was a machine. I didn’t see that at home but when he comes to the racecourse he’s a different horse.
“He’ll be a nice horse next year and Hughsey says he’s all arms and legs at the moment.”
Hannon had high hopes of completing a double with Resignation in the Avonbridge At Whitsbury Conditions Stakes, only to be denied by the narrowest margin.
When Ryan Moore’s mount flashed over the line with 10-11 favourite Dubai Builder, the consensus of opinion was that he had held on.
However, the camera told a different story with Dubai Builder getting up in the final stride to prevail by a short head.
“Both Ryan and John Egan were playing double bluff and thought they’d been beat,” observed Sarah Moore, wife of winning trainer Stan.
“It was a game of cat and mouse but he stayed on and got there.”
Mrs Moore added that Dubai Builder is unlikely to take his place in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes as it would come too soon after this hard race.
With a racing pedigree which points to a successful career in the saddle, William Buick produced a stylish display to register a first career win on Bank On Benny (8-1) in the Axminster Carpets Apprentice Handicap.
The 18-year-old is the son of race-reader Walter Buick, who himself was eight-times champion jockey in Scandinavia where he won a total of 22 Classics.
Buick jnr, the eldest of three brothers, weighs in at just 6st 2lb in his racing colours but he showed plenty of strength in driving Bank On Benny to a length-and-a-half win over Dixieland Boy.
“I’ve been with Andrew Balding at Kingsclere for the past year, straight after I left school and relocated to Britain from Norway,” said Buick jnr.
“Paul (d’Arcy) said he was a big horse who would handle any cut in the ground and it’s been great having dad at the races so often to support me.”
Ralph Beckett moved to within two of last year’s best tally of 32 when Looker gave the Whitsbury trainer the clinching leg of an across-the-card double in the poshchateaux.com Claiming Stakes.
James Doyle had to await the outcome of a photo as the 6-1 shot flashed across the line in unison with South O’The Border and Incidentally.
The verdict went to Beckett’s filly by a short head and a neck to give the trainer a second win of the day after also sending out Fabuleux Millie at Lingfield,
He said: “I’ve trained two winners in two days for this filly’s owners which is a bonus. It’s very hard to win anywhere at this time of year.”
