Pipe registers Rasen hat-trick
Not content with dominating the National Hunt scene through the bleak winter months, Martin Pipe stole the show at Market Rasen’s summer showpiece meeting today with a 1,013-1 treble.
The highlight of his hat-trick was an easy win for Tango Royal in the £65,000 totesport Summer Plate with the grey storming to a 12-length success at odds of 25-1.
The nine-year-old slowly crept his way into the race and found himself at the head of affairs turning for home before 3lb claimer Tom Malone sent him about his business down the home straight.
Tango Royal relished the quick ground, readily pulling clear after pinging the final fence, although a dreadful mistake by Good Lord Louis, that saw his jockey Paddy Brennan reaching for the stars, helped to add to his winning distance.
Ballycassidy, winner of the race two years ago, was well backed for a repeat success being sent off the 5-2 favourite but he could only finish third under top weight, a length and a quarter away from runner-up Impek while Good Lord Louis held on for fourth.
“I haven’t been here for a long time but I’m glad I came now having had three winners,” joked Pipe.
“It’s good to win this big race and I’m delighted for Tom Malone and the horse.
“Tom rode a good race. I told him to hold him up and creep in and he has judged it to perfection.”
Malone, winning one the biggest races of his career, added: “I thought he was handicapped to the hilt but he has skated in.
“He won so easily that Good Lord Louis’ mistake didn’t make any difference.
“Tony McCoy shouted at me on the turn for home and said not to go too soon as Tango does nothing in front, but he was doing plenty today.”
The third-last fence was omitted after Mick Fitzgerald took a nasty tumble from Celtic Boy on the first circuit, with the jockey being airlifted to Lincoln County Hospital for precautionary X-rays on his neck and chest.
His weighing room colleague Tony McCoy again showed exactly why he dominates the jockeys’ championship when digging to the bottom of his reserves to get Pipe’s Buena Vista home in the opening £35,000 totescoop6 Summer Hurdle.
The champion jockey had the 2-1 favourite at the head of affairs from the outset and the pair looked ready to sail to an easy success as the field swung for home with two flights to jump.
Hilltime, sent off a 20-1 shot, came to spoil the party though, laying down a challenge after jumping the second-last before getting his head in front coming over the final flight.
But McCoy was not to be outdone and carried the four-year-old, who was adding to a recent hat-trick, to the line for a thrilling win, scoring by a length and a quarter from Hilltime with Borora two and a half lengths further way in third.
“I thought the handicapper had him too high but it looks as though he was just about right,” said Pipe.
“He’d had three runs in novices and won them nicely. We thought we would come here and see if he could run a big race.
“He likes this good ground but I don’t know where he will go next – today was the plan.”
Pipe’s treble was completed by Sardagna who forged clear after the final fence to land the Gilbert And Molly King Memorial HBLB Handicap Chase by a length and a half under Timmy Murphy.
“They went a suicidal pace early on but Timmy just sat and waited and produced her at the right time,” said Pipe. “She is a nice size and will make a nice broodmare.
After riding the first winner, McCoy went onto complete a quick 8-1 double with another strong ride aboard Patrick Haslam’s newcomer Dan’s Heir.
Sent off the 9-4 joint favourite, Haslam’s charge was sent to the front by McCoy with four flights left to jump but his every move was covered by his market rival Tidal Fury.
The latter was soon under pressure though and it was left to Goldstar Dancer to try and make a race of it, but Dan’s Heir always had enough up his sleeve to take the Cobelfret Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle by three lengths.
“Patrick was going to send him to Stratford last week but he felt the extra furlong and a half of this race would suit,” said Haslam’s wife Anne.
Sendonthecheque tried to make all in the Mortons Print Novices’ Handicap Chase and was doing a good job of it until Beaugency (10-1) reeled him in close home to run out a seven-length winner.
The closing Lys-Line Handicap Hurdle fell to the in-form Rift Valley, the 7-4 favourite, who ran out a brave three-and-a-half-length winner after being in the front rank throughout under Richard Johnson.
A minute’s silence was observed by the 6,000-strong crowd before the first race in memory of young jockey Tom Halliday who was tragically killed at the track’s previous meeting earlier this month.
