Horse Racing: McManus on top as big guns dominate
The emerald green and orange hooped colours of JP McManus were carried to victory in three of the seven races at Towcester on Friday on a day when the big guns swept the board.
While Kauto Star was demonstrating his class for champion trainer Paul Nicholls in the King George VI Chase at Kempton, such high profile stables as Jonjo O'Neill, Nicky Henderson, Venetia Williams and Nick Gifford were devouring smaller pickings in Northants in front of a massive Bank Holiday crowd.
There may be only minimal links between Kempton and Towcester on such days... but it is least worth pointing out that 25/1 King George runner-up Albertas Run, from the O'Neill yard, won his first novice chase at the Northants track in October last year!
O'Neill runners Quazy De Joie (9/1), Rate Of Knots (7/4 fav) and Supreme Keano (8/1) all sported the McManus trademark line.
Only The Pike, in the first division of the bumper, failed to deliver for his powerful connections.
After Quazy De Joie had fended off the challenging Chaim in the 2m novices' hurdle, in the hands of Alan Berry, the other O'Neill winners were partnered by 22 year-old Irish born jockey Richie McLernon.
"I rode my first winner as a professional here for Mr O'Neill on Castlecrossings (in October last year)," said the conditional rider.
Rate Of Knots was an easy winner of the 2m 6f beginners' chase and was almost certainly value for more than his seven-length margin of success as McLernon was able to coast up behind Ballyboley before being unleashed on the run-in on a tight rein.
Half-an-hour later the same rider was again in a perfect position to bide his time on Supreme Keano before sweeping past Major Miller in the 2m 5f novices' hurdle.
Major Miller's trainer Nicky Henderson had begun the afternoon by confirming the yard's excellent form of late as the grey Zanzibar Boy (5/2 fav) had left his opposition strung out far behind.
A far more interesting race developed for the places with Glimmer Of Light earning second place before his trainer Dr Richard Newland sped off to Huntingdon in the fashion that trainers are apt to do on Boxing Day.
History has a habit of repeating itself here and Venetia Williams saddled her first two Towcester winners of the season Friday – just as she did 12 months ago.
She began with National Petition's third chase win in 11 days after victories at Folkestone and Hereford, 7lbs amateur rider Will Biddick taking over from Aidan Coleman who was otherwise deployed at Wincanton.
National Petition's job became much easier after the fall of Salsero at the bottom of the hill and the top weight and 11/10 favourite came home 13 lengths clear of Ross Leader. Biddick then followed up on 7/2 chance Pliny in the first division of the bumper, pulling clear of King Raven and the local trainer Half Hib from Anna Brooks' stable at Alderton.
The second division fell to Neil Harvey (7/4 fav), named after the former Australian Test cricketer and owned by high profile Lancashire sponsor Paul Beck and former England batsman Neil Fairbrother.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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