Brown Panther made a highly encouraging return to action in claiming the totepool Pontefract Castle Stakes for the second successive year.A hugely impressive winner of the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot two years ago, the five-year-old went on to finish second in the 2011 St Leger and has run a number of admirable races in defeat at Group level since.
Making his first start since finishing down the field in the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp last October, Tom Dascombe's charge was second best in the market at 11-8 for this mile-and-a-half Listed contest, with last year's Derby runner-up Main Sequence heading the betting at even-money.
Brown Panther moved sweetly on the outside of the six-runner field heading down the back straight under Richard Kingscote and came home three and a half lengths clear of Souviens Toi.
Main Sequence, who had run respectably on his first two starts of the campaign, was on this occasion disappointing.
David Lanigan's stable star was being ridden before the home turn by Ted Durcan and the response was limited as he faded to finish a well-beaten fourth.
Dascombe said: "I'll have to talk to the boys, but there's a possibility he could run at Newmarket (Princess of Wales's Stakes, July 11) in a couple of weeks.
"We want to win a Group One race with him this season and the main end-of-season target is likely to be the Irish Leger (Curragh, September 15)."
Ex-footballer and part-owner Michael Owen said: "We won this last year on our way to running in some nice races and hopefully this will be a springboard.
"He hasn't won first time out since his two-year-old days, so it's a monkey off our back.
"He handles all types of ground. We prefer to run him on soft because not every horse handles it.
"We're trying to nick a Group One and put a lot of value on him.
"We were two or three inches away in last year's Irish Leger and that would be our likely target."
Main Sequence, who had run respectably on his first two starts of the campaign, was on this occasion disappointing.
However, there may have been a viable excuse as trainer David Lanigan later tweeted: "Main Sequence scoped dirty after his race at Pontefract. His scope during the week was clean."
Herostatus was a 10-1 winner of the two-and-a-quarter-mile totepool Mobile Pontefract Cup for trainer Jason Ward and jockey Silvestre de Sousa - the middle leg of a treble on the card for the Brazilian rider.
Ward told Racing UK: "I absolutely adore this horse. I'm so chuffed.
"I really hoped he'd get in the Ascot Stakes (at Royal Ascot), but he missed the cut by three or four.
"Silvestre is very good round here and gave him a great ride.
"There are a few plans in the mix - possibly the Cesarewitch."
De Sousa also struck on Haylaman (7-2) in the totequadpot Four Places In Four Races Handicap and Huffoof (15-2) in the totetrifecta Fillies' Handicap.
Dare To Achieve rewarded odds-on backers when obliging at cramped odds of 1-4 in the Bet totepool On All Irish Racing Maiden Stakes.
The William Haggas-trained colt finished a fine second to Royal Ascot winner Remote on his previous start at Newbury and confirmed that promise with a comfortable six-length verdict over Astorgs Galaxy.
Winning jockey Richard Hughes said: "He's a very nice horse and William has done a marvellous job with him at home.
"He's a bit keen and trying to control all that energy isn't that easy, but we've done it today.
"He's a good maiden winner, but I wouldn't get too excited.
"He won't be the real deal for another year down the road. It would be very unfair to rate him on what he's going to be."
Dutch Courage (13-8) won the toteplacepot On All UK Meetings/EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes, while Ayasha (20-1) and Teetotal (5-1) shared the honours in a dead-heat finish to the concluding toteexacta On All Races Handicap.
Judul: Brown Panther: Impressive victory at Pontefract
Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Ditulis Oleh 10:43 AM
Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Ditulis Oleh 10:43 AM