Cantor primed for Ayr raid
Bel Cantor is poised to go in search of more glory at Ayr on Saturday after his efforts at Catterick saw him gain a fifth win in little more than a year.
The four-year-old was given a good ride by apprentice Andrew Mullen in the TurfTV.co.uk Handicap and got the better of Crocodile Bay and Nuit Sombre by three-quarters of a length and a neck.
Returned a 16-1 chance, he has played significant part in getting Bill Ratcliffe’s training career off the ground
Ratcliffe said: “When you are coming to the end of the season you tend to try a few different things and I decided run him back over seven furlongs.
“I have always thought that would suit him and I may run him at Ayr on Saturday. That is over six (furlongs), but it looks like being heavy ground so that will help.
“He was my first runner (as a trainer in April last year) and was beaten in a three-way photo – he has been very good for us.”
Ann Duffield broke new ground when Seta Pura gave her a first success for leading owner Kirsten Rausing in the Cowthorpe Median Auction Maiden Stakes.
The 6-1 chance was brought with a good run by Royston Ffrench to lead well inside the final furlong and beat the newcomer Premier Danseur by a head, with Bishopbriggs half a length away in third.
Duffield’s husband George enjoyed many a success in the Rausing colours during his long association with Sir Mark Prescott, most notably recording back-to-back victories in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket.
He said: “It is very nice of Miss Rausing to send a horse to us and it is nice to win a race for her.
“She was very lucky for me and I was lucky for her when I was riding. I rode a lot of good winners for her, including the Champion Stakes twice on Alborada (in 1998 and 1999).”
Greg Fairley brought Star Of Angels (7-1) from last to first to win the racinguk.tv Handicap in great style by six lengths from Intavac Boy.
Star of Angels is trained by Mark Johnston, but is also owned by a trainer, Alcester-based Roger Brookhouse.
Johnston explained: “Roger bred the horse and he wanted to try and win a race on the Flat with him before he goes jumping, so he sent him to me – he will go jumping in the not too distant future.”
Micky Fenton completed a double on Neville Callaghan’s Expensive Art (9-2) in the Go Racing At Wetherby This Friday Handicap and the well-backed Declan Carroll-trained Ha’Penny Beacon, who gained her first success in the Book A Raceday Hospitality On 1748 810165 Handicap.
Tom Queally rode Feelin Foxy into second place behind Expensive Art, beaten a length, and he was suspended for two days, November 10 and 11, for using his whip with excessive force.
Fairley will be sidelined for the same two days having been found guilty of careless riding on Merrymaker, who finished fourth to Ha’Penny Beacon.
David Nicholls was away at the sales, but his team was in good hands and Spirit of Coniston, ridden by the trainer’s son Adrian, defied a 6lb penalty for a win at Kempton yesterday when landing the Come Racing Again Next Tuesday Handicap as the 13-8 favourite.
