VETERAN trainer John Quinn ticked off one of his remaining training ambitions by winning Redcar’s most historic race, The Racing TV Zetland Gold Cup, with Liberty Coach today.
After the four-year-old had held off Ed Bethell’s See That Storm by a nose on the 75th anniversary of the race, the Malton trainer revealed the Zetland Gold Cup and the Thirsk Hunt Cup were two races he wanted to win.
“I finally won the Thirsk Hunt Cup (with Titan Rock) last year and it’s taken me 30 years to win the Zetland Gold Cup,” said John, who trains with son Sean.
Liberty Coach, enterprisingly ridden by Jason Hart, denied See That Storm a fifth consecutive victory since joining Bethell's Middleham yard, with Callum Rodriguez only just failing to get up on the line.
Quinn added: "Jason gave him a really good ride and he's a very likeable horse. A lot of people were trying to buy him last year but these are the kind of horses you want to try to keep.”
Hart said: "I thought I'd been chinned on the line, but it's gone our way. He's a big, long-striding horse and, once he gets into a rhythm, he's hard to pass."
The victory sealed a fairytale couple of days for Newcastle United season ticket-holder Hugh Hurst, who owns Liberty Coaches in Northumberland, and has the gelding in partnership with Ross Sankey.
His beloved Magpies confirmed Champions League football by a nose on Sunday and Liberty Coach’s narrow victory in the Zetland Gold Cup was “the icing on the cake”.
After the win for Newcastle, there was an equaliser in the next race – the Celebrating 30 Years of Jacks Coaches – won by Archduke Ferdinand in the colours of Sunderland fan Phil Slater.
Trained at Malton by Seb Spencer and ridden by Dale Swift, the horse runs in red and white silks in honour of Sunderland. .
Phil, who bred ‘Archie’, originally got into racing as a release from running an engineering company 15 years ago.
Winning trainer Seb Spencer said: "The five furlongs didn't suit at Haydock last time and we'll stick to six now."
Debutante Miss Yechance, trained by Newmarket newcomer Jack Morland, was an impressive winner of the opening Join Racing TV Now EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes under Sam James.
Morland said: "She's shown us nothing but speed since she came into the yard and she's a very professional filly. She could be a Royal Ascot type in the making."
The daughter of Cotai Glory won with plenty in hand from Grant Tuer's well-backed Advertised.
The winning jockey said: "I sat on this filly before the breeze-ups, and I thought she was very quick. She was pricking her ears at the line.
"Jack Morland hasn't been training for long but he knows what to do with two-year-olds and he's going places."
There was another eye-catching debut when Big Leader, ridden by PJ McDonald, landed the Celebrating The Life of Colin Brown Maiden Stakes in dominant style.
The imposing son of Mehmas, who cost 130,000 euros as a yearling, was previously with Tipperary trainer Paddy Twomey, and runs in the colours of Bond Thoroughbred Ltd.
He's now trained by veteran North Yorkshire trainer and former jockey Geoff Oldroyd, who said: "He's always been a nice horse but a bit wayward.
"We did fancy him but thought the ground might not suit him. We're not in any rush with him but I've got one or two nice races in mind for him."
Big Leader came home clear of Pebble Island in second with the William Haggas-trained 1-3 favourite Crown of Oaks in third.
There was a nice result all round for another Malton trainer, Julie Camacho, when Mayo County took Division One of The In Memory of Billy Higgins Handicap under Ryan Sexton.
The Malton yard is sponsored by David Roberts and Partners Insurance, and one of the partners, Simon Bland, is the Mayson filly's proud owner.
Simon, from Leeds, said: "She won well enough three runs ago at Newcastle and we've fancied her since then, but she's starting to mature now and did it well today."
Camacho added: "Her last run at Lingfield was a good run and she's turning into a nice filly. It's nice to get a winner for the yard's sponsors who have been massive supporters."
On a day dominated by Malton trainers, Amayretto defied a 4lbs penalty to land Division 2 for Tim Easterby, David Allan and Lovely Bubbly Racing.
The chestnut Mayson filly won at Redcar as a two-year-old – on her breeder Deborah O'Brien's birthday – but suffered a stress fracture of a fetlock last year.
However, she's made a great start to her four-year-old career, winning at Doncaster, and now following-up at Redcar.
Mrs O’Brien, who lives near Knaresborough, said: "I genuinely believe she's capable of a lot better. This wasn't her ground – she'll be much better on soft or heavy."
North Yorkshire trainer Roger Fell admitted he was expecting Boyne Lady to win much more easily than her head victory over Another Abbott in the Market Cross Jewellers Handicap: "I fancied her to hose up, but it was a lot tougher than I thought," he said after the filly's victory under Rowan Scott.
Ruth Carr, who trains near York, scored a 23rd winner of the season when Wait and Hope, ridden by Jimmy Sullivan, bagged the Racing Again Tomorrow On Racing TV Handicap from the fast-finishing Parish Councillor.
Carr said: "He was well handicapped on his best form – and we've been waiting and hoping!
"He's just taken a bit of time to settle and race in the right way. He was a bit unlucky in running last time at Ripon and we came here thinking if he was in the right mindset he wouldn't be far away."
Retired business consultant Stuart Rimmer, from Pocklington, owns the gelding with friend Len Taylor. Stuart said: "Ruth bought him at the sales last year and we were looking, so we went up and had a chat. It turned out she didn't have an owner for him, so we took him, and it's been great to see him win today."
