Burke and Norton celebrate with City

Liverpool supporters Karl Burke and Franny Norton had more cause for celebration when the trainer and jockey teamed up successfully with City For Conquest in the Stapleton Maiden Auction Fillies’ Stakes at Catterick today.

Liverpool supporters Karl Burke and Franny Norton had more cause for celebration when the trainer and jockey teamed up successfully with City For Conquest in the Stapleton Maiden Auction Fillies’ Stakes at Catterick today.

Norton had the 11-1 chance, who was wearing a visor for the first time, smartly into her stride and she was soon racing up with the pace. City For Conquest went on at halfway in the five-furlong dash and drew readily clear to win as she liked by three lengths from Smart Pick.

On his return to the winner’s enclosure Norton shouted “Come on Liverpool” which brought plenty of cheers from the assembled crowd.

Burke and Norton had both been in Istanbul for Liverpool’s dramatic victory in the European Champions League on Wednesday night.

The Middleham-based trainer said: “I went out on Wednesday and it was a good trip – well worth going, the atmosphere was unbelievable.

“But I don’t think I had as good a time as Franny though. He got out there a bit earlier and came back later than me.”

And of City For Conquest, Burke added: “She’s done it well and the visor definitely made the difference. She worked very well in it a couple of weeks ago at home. We have been thinking about putting it on her for a while.

“The ground was too heavy for her last time at Ripon. She likes this firm ground and I’m sure she’ll win again

“Our horses haven’t really been firing. We’ve had a few niggling problems which we’ve ironed out and this is our third winner of the week.

“We’ll try and keep it going now.”

Lady Zanzara, the 5-4 favourite, got loose before the start and crashed into a land rover. She was withdrawn not under orders which resulted in a deduction of 40 pence in the £ on all bets.

The Leather Wedge made all the running in the hands of Pat Mathers to take the Lionweld Kennedy Sprint Handicap.

Bob Johnson’s 15-2 shot was strongly pressed throughout the last of the five furlongs by Shrink, the 2-1 favourite, and the slow-starting Kangarilla Road but the six-year-old gelding held on in determined fashion to score in a good finish by half a length and a head.

“With 14 runners we thought it best to pop him out and keep out of trouble,” Johnson said.

“We’ve only had him five or six months and that’s three he’s won for us. We’ll give him a bit of time off now.”

Zuhair, having his first start since coming out of retirement, finished fast to take fifth less than two lengths behind the winner.

Kangarilla Road’s trainer, Lynda Ramsden, had better luck 30 minutes later when Trojan Flight got home in front under a good ride from Leandro Goncalves in the Sarah Lunn Memorial Stakes.

The 100-30 shot tracked the leaders until Goncalves switched the gelding to the outside to mount his challenge. Once in top gear Trojan Flight flew home to get up in the shadow of the post for a neck and the same call over Mandarin Spirit and Wyatt Earp.

Trojan Flight had been slightly unlucky when fourth at Ripon on Tuesday and Mrs Ramsden said: “He has really had such awful draws and each time the jockey has got off and said ’I should have won that’.

“The other day he was drawn in nine of 17 and he ended up in no man’s land.

“Leandro did very well. He gave him a very nice ride. He’s from Sao Paulo in Brazil and has ridden 218 winners in Brazil and this was his sixth in Britain.”

The diminutive Dematraf belied her stature to run out the convincing winner of the Pen Hill Handicap.

Phillip Makin was always tracking the leaders on the not unfancied 14-1 chance and he moved the grey filly off the rails inside the final furlong.

She showed plenty of spirit to go through a narrow gap between Miss Malone and Zanderido before quickening a length and a quarter clear at the line.

Dematraf was winning her second race from only three starts and her trainer Deborah Evans said: “I only gave about £800 for her. I bought her in Ireland and I got her cheaply because she was so small.

“We’ll try and find another race like this for her.”

Stancomb Wills was backed down to 10-11 favourite for the Barton Maiden Stakes but the three-year-old made heavy weather of beating Mind How You Go by half a length.

Late Arrival hit the front over a furlong out under Tony Culhane in the Croft Selling Stakes and stayed on strongly to land the spoils by two lengths from Cadeaux Rouge.

Micky Hammond’s 8-1 chance was winning his first race since September 2002 and the trainer said: “Tony has won on him before but that was over seven furlongs. The horse has got slower as he’s got older and needed this mile and six.

“He’s had his training difficulties and this race just fell right for him.”

There was no bid for Late Arrival at the subsequent auction.

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