Tadgh the man on Dan in Unicorn finale
Saturday 25th August, 2007
Dan Tucket wins the Unicorn Asset Management July Course Series. Picture by Steve Cargill.
DAN TUCKET secured a superb 8-1 success in the seven-furlong £50,000 Unicorn Asset Management July Course Series Final today.
The son of Dansili had been successful over course and distance in a series qualifier at the Ritz Club July Festival. And he made it two wins on the track after grabbing the lead at the furlong pole and surging powerfully through the closing stages to score by half-a-length.
Red Alert Day lost second in the stewards’ room with his placing reversed with the third home Talk Of Saafend. Not that the winner was involved in the hampering incident and Dan Tucket’s jockey Tadgh O’Shea was thrilled with the triumph.
He said: “I’ve only ridden him three times and I’ve won on him three times. He is a bit of a star for me and he loves it here. He is not the biggest horse in the world but he is really tough, genuine - and has a big heart.”
Beckermet provided a 25-1 shock as he prevailed in the Countrywide Steel and Tubes Hopeful Stakes. The Roger Fisher-trained gelding made every yard under jockey Chris Catlin as he ran out a five-length winner of the six-furlong Listed race with odds-on shot Balthazaar’s Gift back in second.
Catlin said: “He is a nice horse when everything falls right. They all just left it to me and he has enjoyed an uncontested lead. He has bowled along and two-and-a-half furlongs out I’ve started pushing and he just galloped on for me. After being kept busy all summer, it is nice to see him win a decent race. ”
There was yet another July Course two-year-old winner for Newmarket trainer John Gosden as Upton Grey struck in the European Breeders’ Fund maiden. But Gosden had to settle for second best in the Chris Blackwell Memorial handicap as Transcend found one better in Lap Of Honour, who was also successful on the track only a week earlier.
Night Cru emerged triumphant from a ding-dong battle with Apply Dapply in the Royal British Legion handicap, while Ezdiyaad ((9th/12th Royal Lancers maiden) and Esteem Machine Visited the winner’s enclosure (David Cosgrove Memorial handicap).
This was the last day's racing on the July Course in 2007. But Newmarket's busy season continues when the action resumes on the Rowley Mile on Friday, September 21.
By Tony Rushmer