NORTH Yorkshire trainer Karl Burke has a strong case for believing that his first winner of Redcar’s richest race could be on track to being a Group 1 contender.
Cold Case, owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, got a 16-1 quote from Paddy Power for the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot next June after comfortably justifying favouritism in The William Hill Two Year Old Trophy (see main picture).
The Showcasing colt had previously landed a conditions event at Doncaster having been a solid third in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York the outing before that.
And he became the fifth two-year-old to win at either group or listed level for Burke this season when he powered clear from Andrew Balding’s Holguin to win Redcar’s listed race under Clifford Lee.
The trainer said: “I’ve always loved this horse. He has a very high cruising speed and he just had to reproduce what he’d done at Doncaster and York.
“He was the first yearling I bought for Sheikh Mohammed, and it will be interesting to see how far he gets next year. I won’t be surprised if he gets seven furlongs, but not sure about a mile.”
The Commonwealth Cup is over six furlongs and Paddy Power were offering quotes before the winner had returned to the Redcar winner’s enclosure.
It’s the first time Karl Burke has won Redcar’s richest race, having been second to Chipotle last season with Last Crusader.
The other listed race on the Redcar card, the Racing TV EB Stallions Guisborough Stakes, was won in great style by the ever-improving I'm A Gambler.
The No Nay Never three-year-old was winning for the sixth time this season and ninth overall as he battled admirably to land the prize for Charlie and Mark Johnston in the hands of Franny Norton.
The gelding is owned by John Brown, who went from teaboy to chairman at William Hill, and is now retired.
Mr Brown said “He’s gone up 25lbs in the handicap this season and just keeps finding a bit more each time. He’s a great big horse, so he might just be still coming along.”
I’m a Gambler, who has now won prize money of more than £200,000, is likely to reappear in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.
Another Middleham runner, Rhythm Master, trained by James Horton, was a length away in second, a nose in front of the Roger Varian-trained Dubai Poet.
The other feature race on the card, the Racing TV Straight-Mile Series Final, was won by Hayley Turner aboard Belhaven, trained at Newmarket by Harry Eustace.
Turner had a winner at the last Redcar meeting, and she earned another warm reception after course and distance winner Belhaven held off David O’Meara’s Pisanello by a neck.
The Belardo filly had won at Redcar in May and Turner said: “She enjoyed getting into a battle and has been going well at home.”
The competitive eight-race card started with an easy win for the Richard Fahey-trained Lady Mojito who scooted up the far rail under Oisin Orr to win unopposed in The racingtv.com/Freetrial EBF Stallions Novice Stakes.
The Kessaar filly was building on a promising debut when third at Thirsk and the trainer said: “We thought she’d improve for that first run and she was impressive today.”
Owner Aidan Ryan, who has a business running nursing homes, lives in Bishop’s Stortford and was unable to attend. Instead, he rang his friend, Gary Wood, who lives in Guisborough, and asked him to represent him.
Gary, who only got the call on the morning of the race, said: “Aidane said he thought she was a nice horse. The plan was to go it alone up the far rail and she’s done it brilliantly.”
There was a win for Scotland when Can't Stop Now, trained by Iain jardine and ridden by David Allan, held on gamely for a narrow victory from Karl Burke’s Tele Red in the Play Paddys Pick 5 At racingtv.com Handicap.
Alex Gorrie, who runs the triumphant Let’s Be Lucky Racing 30 syndicate, said: “He’s a nice dual-purpose horse. He’s already won over hurdles and the plan was to go back to jumping after this, but David said he thinks there’s another win in him on the Flat now the ground’s turned softer, so we’ll have to consider a change of plan now.”
Zimmerman is named after Bob Dylan, and The Times They Are A Changing for the Poet's Voice gelding after his victory in the Market Cross Jewellers Handicap.
After four runs out of the frame, Tim Easterby’s charge made it two wins in a row by outgunning stablemate Carrigillihy.
Kathy Phillips, a member of the successful Linkenholt Racing syndicate, said: “He surprised us when he won at Catterick a couple of weeks ago, and he’s gone and done it again.”
Kathy is a big Bob Dylan fan and was responsible for coming up with the horse’s name, because Zimmerman is the legendary singer’s real name.
Easterby said: “They’re two lovely horses and the winner loves it soft.”
Zimmerman may now reappear in the valuable Wiliam Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Heritage Handicap at York next Friday.
Hambleton trainer Kevin Ryan enjoyed Group 1 success with Fonteyn in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket and followed up by landing the Play Paddys Pick 5 At racingtv.com Handicap with Kalahari Prince.
The son of New Approach rallied well under Tom Eaves to outpoint Michael Bell’s Newmarket raider, At Liberty, by a neck.
The final race, the Watch RacingTV Free or 31 Days Handicap, was won comfortably by Helvetique, trained in Hampshire by Ralph Beckett, and ridden by Hector Crouch.
