Wednesday 18 August 2010

York Tuesday Review...Northern Lads Do Well!


Yorkshire celebrated the opening winner of the 2010 Ebor Festival as the Tim Easterby-trained Hamish McGonagall obliged in the Symphony Group Handicap.

Easterby, who trains at Great Habton in Malton, has already managed to grab two decent prizes with the five-year-old this season, on the Knavesmire in May and then at Musselburgh.

Sent off at 9-1, Hamish McGonagall and David Allan were always in the vanguard and pulled away comfortably in the closing stages to score by a length and a half from Judge 'N Jury.

Easterby said: "He's taken time to come to himself. He's a really big horse but he's strengthened up now and he's just a proper horse.

"He's only got two speeds - hack and very fast. Russ Garrity rides him at home and he has to work on his own because he can be very keen. He likes to get his toe in, but he wouldn't want the ground too heavy.

"He's in a race at the Curragh on Sunday week (Flying Five Stakes), but we'll just see how he comes out of this as he's had quite a hard race. It's fantastic to have winners here - this is our Ascot."

There was further success for the home county in the sportingbet.com Nursery as Puddle Duck (6-1) struck for Thirsk-based handler Kevin Ryan in the hands of Jamie Spencer.

"He's routed them there and we might have to step up a level now, but we'll see what the handicapper says," said Ryan.

"He's a tough horse and improving all the time. He can be a bit slow into his stride from the gate sometimes and that might catch him out, but he's a good horse and I'm delighted he's won."

The Patrington Haven Leisure Park Handicap brought proceedings to a close and it was the Michael Dods-trained Sweet Lightning (14-1) who clung on to take top honours, just repelling Royal Destination by a head.