York Racecourse

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Fullandby Primed for Tough Test in £50,000 Skybet Dash
27/07/07

North Yorkshire trainer Tim Etherington is hopeful of another fine effort from stable stalwart Fullandby in a hot renewal of the £50,000 Skybet Dash (3.50pm) at York tomorrow, Saturday, July 28.

The Malton handler revealed today: “It’s a tough race tomorrow but we’re going there with a lot of hope.”

Etherington saddled Fullandby to victory in a competitive renewal of the Giles Insurance 40th Anniversary Heritage Handicap over five furlongs at Ayr on July 16, in which the gelding drew three quarters of a length clear of Gallery Girl.

The consistent five-year-old, rated the 11/2 second-favourite with Sky Bet and a winner over six furlongs on heavy ground at Haydock in September, has been in fine form in top handicaps this season, taking third in the totesport.com Victoria Cup over seven furlongs at Ascot in May, before finishing a close fourth in the GNER Scottish Sprint Cup at Musselburgh on June 9.

The trainer said: “We’re happy with him after his Ayr win but the time he won on heavy it was at Haydock and the race time actually wasn’t that slow. I just feel that we’re going into unknown territory tomorrow at York. It’s a tough race on very difficult ground.

“We’re looking forward to tomorrow but you’ve got to respect the others. We’re actually a few pounds wrong with one or two of them. For example, when we met The Kiddykid at Newmarket in May we were 12th and he was 11th and neither of us were beaten much more than three lengths but we’re 10lb wrong with him now for a head. Technically he has the beating of us but we go there in hope.

“I wish I had 10 like him. Horses like him don’t come along very often. The horse has a lot of guts and he’s got ability as well, which is a good combination. Kevin (Darley) gets on great with him and knows him well.”

Fullandby faces 12 rivals in the Skybet Dash including current market leader El Bosque (7/2 with Sky Bet ), trained by Rod Millman, as well as the Dandy Nicholls-trained trio of Gift Horse (8/1), Turnkey (12/1) and Bahamian Pirate (16/1).

Richard Fahey saddled Wyatt Earp to success in the Skybet Dash last season and the Malton trainer has the 8/1 shots Green Park and Philharmonic primed for action.

The £50,000 Skybet Dash is part of a fantastic seven-race card exclusively sponsored by Sky Bet , that also features a high-class renewal of the £100,000 Group Two Skybet York Stakes (3.15pm), which sees the Aidan O’Brien-trained Group One Vodafone Derby runner-up Eagle Mountain take on seven older rivals over 10 furlongs.

The £35,000 Skybet.com Silver Cup over a mile and three-quarters was won last year by the Mark Johnston-trained Lina’s Selection and this year’s race has attracted a classy seven-strong field, which includes 2005 German St Leger winner El Tango, trained by Peter Schiergen.

Also in the field are the Geoff Wragg-trained Group Three-winning stalwart The Whistling Teal and John Smith’s Northumberland Plate runner-up Macorville, trained by George Moore.

Latest prices for the Skybet Dash:

El Bosque 7/2
Fullandby 11/2
Gift Horse 8/1
Green Park 8/1
Philharmonic 8/1
River Falcon 8/1
Skhilling Spirit 10/1
Turnkey 12/1
The Kiddykid 14/1
Zomerlust 14/1
Bahamian Pirate 16/1
Invincible Force 33/1

Each Way terms: 1/4 of odds for 1st 3 places