Napoletano stars for Chamberlain
Lingfield Park would not be an obvious destination for celebrity spotting but it was hard to miss Soccer AM presenter Helen Chamberlain as she welcomed in her horse Napoletano.
Equally delighted was her out-of-form trainer Simon Dow but with the help of top jockey Neil Callan, the team landed a bit of a touch in the Easter Egg-Stravaganza Pontin’s Handicap.
Napoletano was backed into 8-1 from 11s and although his response was not immediate when put under pressure, he motored down the centre of the track to lead just before the line.
“I needed that,” said Dow, out of the winners for some four months.
“He’s been a little unlucky and needs things to go right for him. He did have some decent form in Germany and we bought him for Helen to have a bit of fun with. On that form, he’ll go in again.”
Callan later doubled up on 13-8 favourite Sands Crooner, defying his highest mark for several years in the Time To Get Egg-Cited Pontin’s Handicap.
Mark Allen’s wait has been much longer than Dow’s and he celebrated a maiden success as High ’N Dry came home in style.
Findon-based Allen took the John Ferguson 40th Birthday Handicap, where his chestnut filly displayed a sharp turn of foot to pull two and a half lengths clear of her rivals in the hands of Paul Doe.
Despite her trainer’s fruitless streak of 145 runners, punters evidently retained some faith to send her off at 11-2.
“It’s a hard game and we’ve had quite a few seconds, so I hope the winners come along like buses now,” said Allen.
“We’ve been waiting far too long to remember – five or six years I think.”
There was a minor surprise in the Join The Easter Parade Pontin’s Maiden Stakes, although the 12-1 winner Lucullus had achieved a decent rating on his debut at the track a fortnight previously.
The 2-5 favourite Always Certain could never quite impose himself from the front and Lucullus finished with a flourish under Steve Drowne.
“He fractured his tibia last year but has always worked well,” explained trainer Michael Blanshard.
“We’ll leave him for the grass season now as he has not come in his coat yet.”
Jamie Spencer looked to have hit the front a bit too soon aboard Warming Up (15-8 favourite) in the DLA Piper Handicap but pulled out all the stops to outlast Lord’s Bidding in a photo finish.
Scripted did his best to make all in the Play Golf Lingfield Park Handicap but could not match the late effort of 5-2 favourite Shogun Prince.
The Put On Your Easter Bonnet Pontin’s Selling Stakes suited Jon Akehurst’s Competitor (5-1) perfectly as he completed his seventh course victory, six of which have been in the same grade.
