MALTON trainer Richard Fahey and his stable jockey Paul Hanagan lead the way in their respective categories in terms of winners on the Yorkshire racecourses this season, as they did last year (writes Graham Orange).
They teamed up to clinch the feature race at Pontefract on Monday, when Sioux Rising (15-2) took the EBF Park Suite Fillies' Handicap Stakes.
Sioux Rising was making her handicap debut after winning a maiden race over course and distance earlier in
the season. She looks a very progressive filly, and she had to pull out all the stops to land the spoils in a close finish, just getting up on the line to deny Mey Blossom by a nose, with Artistic License only a neck back in third place.
Hanagan was also the winning rider in the main supporting race, the Spindrifter Conditions Stakes for two-year-olds, guiding Jack My Boy (6-1) to victory over his three rivals for Monmouthshire trainer David Evans.
It was the third win of the season for Jack My Boy, but he has a long way to go before he emulates the remarkable record of Spindrifter, who won 13 races as a juvenile back in 1980.
Leading amateur rider Serena Brotherton partnered Gala Sunday (14-1) to success in the opening race, a handicap contest for lady amateur riders.
Trained at Sheriff Hutton near York by Mick Easterby, Gala Sunday was runner-up in this race last year, but the veteran nine-year-old made no mistake this time, winning by a length from Sir Boss.
Hel's Angel (11-2), ridden by apprentice jockey, Jamie Kyne, landed The Ted Carter - A Lifetime In Racing Fillies' Handicap Stakes for Middleham trainer Ann Duffield.
Hel's Angel made good headway in the latter stages of this race over one mile to lead well inside the final furlong and win by a length and a quarter from Kassuta.
Newmarket trainer Willie Musson was on hand to witness Sparkaway (16-1), ridden by Tadhg O'Shea, cruise to victory by four and a half lengths in the Wayne Conway Memorial Handicap Stakes, while Big Apple Boy (3-1 co-favourite) also won impressively, taking the race for three-year-old sprinters, the Mr. Wolf Sprint Handicap Stakes by six lengths.
Trained at Middleham by Jedd O'Keeffe and ridden by Micky Fenton, Big Apple Boy won his maiden race as a two-year-old last year at Pontefract.
Straits Of Hormuz (15-2) provided her trainer Mark Johnston, who is based at Middleham, with his 38th winner of June when holding Brilliana by a neck in the Wilfred Underwood Memorial Maiden Fillies' Stakes.
Final furlong
Ridden by Joe Fanning, Straits Of Hormuz made all the running in this contest over one mile and a quarter and was a game winner.
Betteras Bertie (14-1) took the afternoon's eighth and final race, a handicap contest over one mile. Owned and bred by Valerie Sugden and trained at Warthill near York by Mel Brittain, Betteras Bertie was partnered by Jimmy Fortune to a two and half lengths victory, staying on inside the final furlong to deny Desert Hunter.
Meanwhile, sprinters are in the spotlight at Pontefract's seven-race programme next Tuesday (2.30pm).
The feature races, the King Richard III Handicap Stakes and the Dianne Nursery Handicap Stakes, are both contested over six furlongs.
The 26th running of the King Richard III Handicap Stakes – the afternoon's most valuable race, with prize money of £15,000 – commemorates the granting of a Royal Charter to the Borough of Pontefract in 1484 and the successful will receive a perpetual challenge trophy given by Pontefract Civic Trust, while The Dianne Nursery Handicap Stakes is one of the north's first handicap races for two-year-olds.
Harworth Estates, the property division of UK Coal, return to this meeting to sponsor a handicap race for three-year-old sprinters won last year by Le Toreador in the colours of well-known Yorkshire owner/breeder, Guy Reed.
The giant screen, situated opposite the track, will show all of the action.
