MIDDLEHAM trainer Ben Haslam has hit a real purple patch with his horses and scored his fifth winner in three weeks with the same owners at Redcar today.
Code Purple swooped late under Graham Lee to land the Yorkshire Wonder Horse Handicap for owners Daniel Shapiro and David Clifford, who are partners in a software company in London.
The same owner-trainer-jockey partnership had a winner at Redcar’s first meeting of 2023 last week with Purple Martini.
Haslam said: “It’s a great run and, hopefully, Code Purple can keep progressing. We’ll keep him busy because he handles this kind of softer ground.”
Co-owner David Clifford added: “It’s fantastic to have five winners in three weeks and it’s great to be part of a small yard that’s punching above its weight.”
Another Wensleydale trainer, Karl Burke, was also celebrating after Dubai Crystal completed an international across-the-card treble by storming home under Sam James in the Watch Live On Racing TV Novice Stakes.
The powerful Leyburn yard had bagged winners earlier in the day with Marshman, at Chantilly, in France, and Valour and Swagger at Windsor.
The trainer’s daughter, Kelly, said: “Sam said he was expecting to be swallowed up by the others horses, but she kept going. She’s a nicely bred filly and she loved being out in front on that soft ground. She’s race-fit from the all-weather, so everything went right for her.”
It was also a day to remember for Shariq Mohd who rode his first winner on board Maysong, trained by Alice Haynes at Newmarket, in the SDDE Smith Group Hcap.
'I can't describe how happy I am,' said the 7lbs claimer, who hails from Delhi.
He came to the UK seven years ago to join his father, who is yard manager for Lambourn trainer, Sylvester Kirk.
“I hadn’t ridden a horse until I came to this country, and I can’t believe I’ve had my first winner. I will never forget this day,” added Shariq.
Concorde, trained by George Boughey, at Newmarket, flew home home for a facile win under a hands and heels ride by Ben Curtis in the Grey-Smith Legal Straight Mile Handicap.
The handsome chestnut son of Sixties Icon had shown promise during three runs on the all-weather and was impressive in handicap company on Redcar’s turf.
Curtis said: 'He’s been given time to strengthen up and he went through the race well. It was very easy and plane-sailing on ground that was perfect for him.”
An experimental step up in trip paid off as Iato's Angel, trained in the Scottish borders by Keith Dalgleish and ridden by the evergreen Joe Fanning, battled back close home to fend off Cantora in The racingtv.com Handicap.
The winner is owned by Middleham Park Racing. Syndicate member, Bryan Sanderson, a retired lorry driver, said: “We’re over the moon because the step up in trip was just a trial to see whether she’d stay, and it’s clearly paid off.”
Cheshire raider Lunar Jet got up close home under a strong ride by Phil Dennis to land the Watch Race Replays At racingtv.com Handicap for trainer Mick Mullineaux.
“Nothing’s gone right for him – there’s always been an excuse – but he ran well at Doncaster to be third last time despite pulling a shoe off and I thought he’d win today,” said Mullineaux.
Komat, trained at Lambourn by Dominic Ffrench Davis, finished well in the hands of Kevin Stott to land The Flat Is Back On Racing TV Fillies' Restricted Novice Stakes in a field of debutantes.
- Main picture: Code Purple, in the purple colours, comes to win his race under Graham Lee. Picture: Hannah Ali