IT is more than 200 miles from Newmarket to Redcar Racecourse, but the long trek north proved worthwhile for John and Thady Gosden as Yazin suggested he could have a bright future with an authoritative victory in the British EBF Supports Racing To School Future Stayers Novice Stakes.
Having finished third in his only previous career start at Kempton, Yazin took a significant step forward as he ran out a convincing winner ahead of the well-backed favourite Inishbeg (see main picture).
The two-year-old is clearly improving at a rapid rate, with his jockey, Danny Tudhope, having been impressed with the way in which he powered through the line.
“He’s a beautiful horse to sit on,” said Tudhope. “He’s by New Bay and he’s a huge, scopey type. He ran really well. He’s bred to get further, and I’m sure we will see that further down the line. It was only his second start, but the further he went, the better he got.”
Tudhope looked like claiming a quickfire double when Hostility hit the front in the following race, the weatherbysshop.co.uk Novice Stakes, but Paul Mulrennan judged his finishing burst to perfection as the Ed Walker-trained Melvin Udall overhauled the odds-on favourite in the final furlong.
“The plan was to follow the favourite,” said Mulrennan. “Danny’s always looked like being the horse to beat. I rode him at Beverley the last time and the ground was probably lively enough for him – it helped with some cut in the ground.”
Harswell River was the first winner of the day as the two-year-old’s battling qualities enabled her to triumph in a blanket finish in the Celebrating The Pentlands Ruby Wedding Anniversary Nursery Handicap Stakes.
With Mark Winn in the saddle, the Roger Fell-trained juvenile surged clear in a tight encounter that saw the first four home separated by just three-quarters of a length.
“Sometimes, we just felt she was pulling up a bit in front,” said Winn. “We put the cheekpieces on and she was able to get up the far side on a bit of quicker ground.”
The combination of Fell and Winn were back in the winner’s enclosure towards the end of the afternoon as Fire Eyes landed the Watch Racing TV Free For 31 Days Handicap Stakes to complete a double for the duo.
Fire Eyes was having her first run for Fell, having changed stables from Lawrence Mullaney, and appeared to win with a bit in hand.
“We were coming into this thinking she was only 80 per cent fit and also thinking she maybe wanted a mile or even a mile-and-a-quarter,” said Winn. “We always thought she was well handicapped and she’s done it well.”
Jockey Alex Jary was celebrating his 60th career victory as Soul Warrior sprang a surprise in the Weatherbys Stallion Book Nursery Handicap Stakes.
Trained by Malton-based Nigel Tinkler, Soul Warrior was sent off at odds of 40-1, but the two-year-old looked the winner a long way out as he breezed to the front on the far side of the track.
“It’s been a productive year,” said Jary. “Nigel’s horses have been absolutely flying, and I’m lucky to be riding some of them, especially this lad.”
Mawood toughed it out impressively to win the Weatherbys & Birdie Calendars Handicap Stakes under jockey Clifford Lee, holding off the fast-finishing Harswell Ruby to triumph by a neck for his owners, the Shadwell Estate.
Our Absent Friends bounced back to form as he snapped an 18-race losing run with a victory in the racingtv/freetrial Handicap Stakes. The Tristan Davidson-trained seven-year-old last won at Ripon in September 2024, but the removal of cheekpieces seemed to inspire an improvement as he stuck to his task gamely late on under Rowan Scott.
Yorkshire trainer Simon Whitaker ensured there would be a local winner to round off the day as his Miss Willows, ridden by Joanna Mason, claimed a narrow success in Division Two of the Watch Racing TV Free For 31 Days Handicap Stakes.
