Pitt shines on the Roodee
Tim Pitt scored the biggest success of his fledgling training career as Admiral made all to land the totesport Chester Cup under John Egan.
Pitt only took out his training licence last November but has made a sensational start with the exploits of this horse and sprinter Les Arcs.
Pitt’s yard in south Yorkshire is owned by Admiral’s part-owner, football agent Willie McKay.
“It was a great ride by John as he has battled all week to get down to eight stone and he has given him a superb ride,” said Pitt of the 28-1 winner.
“Willie deserves a lot of credit as he lets me get on with things and hopefully this is the start of things to come.”
Egan dictated a pedestrian early pace for the first circuit, his 16 rivals inexplicably allowed him all the leeway he needed to kick for home five furlongs out and build up an advantage that was held all the way to the winning post.
But Admiral’s victory did not go entirely without hitch as the gelding had to be reshod before the race after losing part of the filling material in one of his often-troublesome hind feet.
“A piece fell out of his foot coming out of the paddock and he has got very brittle feet but he was calm when the farrier was seeing to him,” explained Egan.
“I wanted the rail and it was the plan to make the running as once you get in front around here you can just jog around.
“He thought he was just out for a hack he was going so easy. It’s fantastic.”
Needless to say, there was the usual share of hard-luck stories in behind the winner, but plenty of jockeys had only themselves to blame for their fast-finishing efforts.
Vinando (7-1) took second for Frankie Dettori, while Greenwich Meantime (11-2) finished third, having had to come widest of all in the straight, and Dancing Bay (20-1) kept on for fourth from the rear.
Vinando’s trainer Charles Egerton said: “It is slightly frustrating to finish second but he has run well.
“I’ll consider the Queen Alexandra at Ascot for him or the Northumberland Plate. He would be better on a more galloping track.”
Richard Fahey was rueing his luck after seeing Greenwich Meantime forced to travel wide all the way round.
“He was unlucky. He was definitely the best horse in the race. The first two were drawn one and two and they walked around,” said the trainer.
“Our horse ran well but it just never happened. He’ll win the Northumberland Plate, won’t he?”
Dancing Bay’s rider Jamie Spencer also felt unfortunate to have been beaten.
“It would have been nice to get the Chester Cup. I was a bit unlucky,” he said.
“He’s run to his rating and hopefully he’ll be all right at Ascot over two miles and six furlongs in the Queen Alexandra. I’d love to ride him and if they get a bit of juice in the ground he’ll be a hard one to beat.”
