Betfred Cambridgeshire |
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| Heritage Handicap, Newmarket 16:10 £160,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m 1f, Class 2  |
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| Saturday 24th September 2016 | |
1 Spark Plug 12/1
2 Carry On Deryck 20/1
3 Very Talented 11/1
4 Third Time Lucky 14/1
NR: Dolphin Vista (IRE), Gabrial's Kaka (IRE), Raising Sand, Secret Art (IRE)
31 ran Distances: 2¼l, 1½l, ¾l
TIME 1m 48.99s (slow by 1.19s)
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Old friends Jimmy Fortune and Spark Plug teamed up to win the Betfred Cambridgeshire at Newmarket.
The pair had both suffered serious effects after a crashing fall when they clipped heels with a rival in the Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot, but it was Fortune who bounced back more quickly, despite fracturing vertebrae in the fall.
Spark Plug's confidence suffered the more of the pair and it had taken considerable time for trainer Brian Meehan, a long-time supporter and friend of Fortune, to nurse him back to form.
After a couple of promising efforts on his previous starts, Spark Plug charged up the stands' side rail to give Fortune his second win in the prestigious and valuable handicap.
Fortune, successful on Pipedreamer in 2007, made the most of his draw to grab the rail where it mattered.
The field split into two groups with Ode To Evening and Ginger Jack leading those on the far side and Bravo Zolo and First Sitting among those prominent on the near side, although there was never much between them.
Hitting the front in the final furlong, the winner powered away from his 30 rivals to strike by two and a quarter lengths from the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Carry On Deryck.
Very Talented, also from the Bin Suroor stable, was a length and a half away in third and first home on the far side. Last year's winner Third Time Lucky stayed on well for fourth with Zhui Feng fifth and Celestial Path sixth.
Fortune said: "I had to take a pull two out, it stopped him getting there too soon. He's always been a bit of a worrier and Brian has done a wonderful job to get him back after his fall at Ascot.
"I've known Brian for the last 25 years, we've been great friends and long may it continue."
Meehan, who has endured a testing season in Manton, added: "Jimmy rides most of the horses for us and has done for years.
"It has been a tough, tough, year and this old horse means a lot. He has been around the yard for quite some time, and we knew he was up to this. It was his first time over this nine-furlong trip.
"Tony Stafford spotted him as a two-year-old and advised the owner to buy him.
"It means a lot to everybody, the team at home, everybody. He's a quirky horse. The owner, Lew Day is a great supporter.
"I guess he has always looked like a Cambridgeshire horse to everybody, really. He was unlucky when he fell in the Hunt Cup and he ran very well back in the Hunt Cup this year. He always looked as though he was a horse who would have a big chance in a race like this.
"I certainly hope he will keep coming back for this race. And the jockey… and the trainer!"
Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor said of the second and third: "They both ran good. Carry On Deryck went to Dubai this year. We've looked after him and thought he might be a horse for the Cambridgeshire.
"He is improving and now we will either find another race for him or take him back to Dubai. We will have to discuss that.
"We'll have to see this week whether we will run either of them here again this year."
Richard Fahey, trainer of fourth-placed Third Time Lucky, added: "He's run a blinder and slower ground would have suited. The Balmoral Handicap at Ascot on British Champions' Day might be a lovely target."
Betfred Cambridgeshire
£160,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m 1f, Class 2
31 ran
Going: Good to Firm (Firm in places)
| Pos | Dr | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (28) | Spark Plug (IRE) 12/1 | J Fortune 9-4 |
B J Meehan | 5 | |
| 2nd | (35) | 2¼ | Carry On Deryck 20/1 | W Buick 9-5 |
S bin Suroor | 4 |
| 3rd | (8) | 1½ | Very Talented (IRE) 11/1 | Kevin Stott 8-7 |
S bin Suroor | 3 |
| 4th | (13) | ¾ | Third Time Lucky (IRE) 14/1 | Adam J McNamara (5) 9-0 |
R A Fahey | 4 |
| 5th | (2) | ½ | Zhui Feng (IRE) (ex4) 33/1 | P J Dobbs 8-12 |
Mrs A J Perrett | 3 |
| 6th | (32) | 1½ | Celestial Path (IRE) 20/1 | L Morris 9-4 |
Sir Mark Prescott | 4 |
| 7th | (23) | ¾ | Erik The Red (FR) 20/1 | P Mulrennan 8-10 |
K A Ryan | 4 |
| 8th | (10) | hd | Ginger Jack 50/1 | K T O'Neill 8-3 |
G Moss | 9 |
| 9th | (5) | nse | Ode To Evening 33/1 | J Fanning 8-11 |
M Johnston | 3 |
| 10th | (34) | ½ | Interconnection 20/1 | Josephine Gordon (3) 8-4 |
E F Vaughan | 5 |
| 11th | (19) | s.h | Azraff (IRE) 40/1 | Adam Beschizza 8-12 |
M Botti | 4 |
| 12th | (31) | nk | Gm Hopkins 12/1 | R L Moore 9-12 |
J H M Gosden | 5 |
| 13th | (15) | ½ | Treasury Notes (IRE) (ex4) 10/1 | D Tudhope 9-1 |
D O'Meara | 4 |
| 14th | (12) | ½ | American Artist (IRE) 20/1 | Harry Bentley 8-4 |
R Varian | 4 |
| 15th | (24) | nk | Bronze Angel (IRE) 33/1 | Louis Steward (3) 9-7 |
M P Tregoning | 7 |
| 16th | (16) | ¾ | Oasis Fantasy (IRE) 33/1 | A Kirby 9-5 |
E A L Dunlop | 5 |
| 17th | (33) | nk | Educate 33/1 | George Buckell (5) 9-12 |
I Mohammed | 7 |
| 18th | (30) | 1 | Goodwood Mirage (IRE) 66/1 | Edward Greatrex (3) 8-4 |
M L W Bell | 6 |
| 19th | (14) | 2¼ | Banksea 9/1f | J P Spencer 8-8 |
L M Cumani | 3 |
| 20th | (26) | nk | Lat Hawill (IRE) 66/1 | P Makin 8-12 |
K Dalgleish | 5 |
| 21st | (6) | ¾ | Stipulate 20/1 | O J Orr (5) 9-0 |
B Ellison | 7 |
| 22nd | (3) | nk | Chil The Kite 33/1 | G Baker 9-5 |
H Morrison | 7 |
| 23rd | (29) | 1¾ | Bravo Zolo (IRE) 20/1 | L Dettori 9-3 |
J Noseda | 4 |
| 24th | (4) | 3 | Bastille Day 33/1 | David Egan (7) 8-3 |
D R C Elsworth | 4 |
| 25th | (18) | 6 | Examiner (IRE) 20/1 | Oisin Murphy 8-10 |
S C Williams | 5 |
| 26th | (9) | 2 | Knight Owl 12/1 | George Wood (5) 8-6 |
J R Fanshawe | 6 |
| 27th | (25) | ¾ | First Sitting 25/1 | James Doyle 9-6 |
C F Wall | 5 |
| 28th | (27) | 4½ | Dark Red (IRE) 40/1 | P Cosgrave 8-11 |
E A L Dunlop | 4 |
| 29th | (22) | hd | Bancnuana-heireann (IRE) 66/1 | Tim Clark (3) 8-10 |
M Appleby | 9 |
| 30th | (1) | 23 | Master The World (IRE) 12/1 | F M Berry 9-8 |
D R C Elsworth | 5 |
| 31st | (7) | 12 | Balmoral Castle 66/1 | Ryan Tate 8-9 |
J G Portman | 7 |
| NR | (21) | Secret Art (IRE) 25/1 | Non Runner 8-9 |
W J Knight | 6 | |
| NR | (17) | Gabrial's Kaka (IRE) 33/1 | S Donohoe 8-8 |
R A Fahey | 6 | |
| NR | (11) | Dolphin Vista (IRE) 25/1 | P Hanagan 8-8 |
R A Fahey | 3 | |
| NR | (20) | Raising Sand 33/1 | Aaron Jones (3) 8-3 |
J A Osborne | 4 |
