Sodexho Silver Cup
Listed Handicap Chase, Ascot 15:00
£100,000 added,
4yo plus,
3m, Class 1  
Saturday 19th December 2015

QuinnBet

1 Wakanda 8/1
2 Virak 14/1
3 Fingal Bay 6/1
NR: Seefood (IRE)
13 ran Distances: 1l, ¾l, 1½l
TIME 6m 7.70s (slow by 24.70s)

Gritty Wakanda grinds out Silver Cup success

Wakanda
© Racehorse Photos
Wakanda

Sue Smith celebrated her 1,000th winner as a trainer after Wakanda completed a hat-trick in the Sodexo Silver Cup at Ascot.

The improving six-year-old followed up victories at Wetherby and in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle with another hard-fought success in the three-mile Listed prize.

Having been at the head of affairs from flag-fall, the 8-1 chance looked set to be swallowed up by a host of rivals on the run down to the penultimate fence.

Not one for relenting, Wakanda continued to find extra in reserves to hold off the fast-finishing Virak by a length, with Hennessy fourth Fingal Bay a further three-quarters of a length away in third.

Smith said: "We are delighted with him.

"The horse has improved so much. He is a very economical jumper and him and Danny Cook are like coffee and cream.

"He is a very tough, game little horse. He is going to have a break now as he as run three times and won three times.

"He will probably come back in February time but there is nothing mapped out for him.

"He does need soft ground, though."

Boylesports

Sodexo Silver Cup Handicap Chase (Listed)
£100,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 7f 180y, Class 1
13 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Soft in places

Pos D Horse SP Jockey Weight Trainer Age
1st Wakanda (IRE) 8/1 Danny Cook
11-5
Mrs S J Smith 6
2nd 1 Virak (FR) 14/1 Harry Cobden (7)
11-12
P F Nicholls 6
3rd ¾ Fingal Bay (IRE) 6/1 R Johnson
10-10
P J Hobbs 9
4th The Young Master 8/1 Mr S Waley-Cohen (3)
11-4
N P Mulholland 6
5th 7 Pendra (IRE) 9/2f B J Geraghty
11-1
C E Longsdon 7
6th Salubrious (IRE) 13/2 Sam Twiston-Davies
11-2
P F Nicholls 8
7th 5 Gullinbursti (IRE) 14/1 L P Aspell
10-5
Miss E C Lavelle 9
8th ½ Houblon Des Obeaux (FR) 8/1 Charlie Deutsch (5)
11-4
Miss V Williams 8
9th 2 The Giant Bolster 16/1 T Scudamore
11-3
D G Bridgwater 10
10th 11 Ma Filleule (FR) 16/1 Nico de Boinville
11-11
N J Henderson 7
11th 1 Fox Appeal (IRE) 14/1 Sean Bowen
11-6
Miss E C Lavelle 8
12th 8 Unioniste (FR) 20/1 Nick Scholfield
11-9
P F Nicholls 7
PU Katenko (FR) 20/1 Aidan Coleman
11-1
Miss V Williams 9
NR Seefood (IRE) 20/1 W Kennedy
10-6
Dr R D P Newland 8

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