Knox floors Newbury foes
Friday 26 October 2012
Fort Knox has plenty to live up to as a full-brother to Dubawi Gold but he was more than capable of leading home a Richard Hannon 1-2-3 at Newbury.
Hannon lifted both divisions of the Join Hot To Trot Racing Club EBF Maiden Stakes and Fort Knox (13-2) was most impressive in the second instalment, displaying a neat turn of foot when switched by Pat Dobbs and surging a length and three-quarters away from newcomer Beautiful View, with evens favourite Sea Shanty only third.
Hannon could not recall filling the frame in a race before, while Tim Jones, winning owner Andrew Tinkler's racing manager, said: "I don't know what happened first time at Kempton. We expected him to run well, but he has learned from it. If he ends up as good as his brother we'll be very happy."
The trainer had kept some regulars of a Chelsea pub happy in division one when Carry On Sydney, who belongs to the Sydney Arms Partnership, took a positive step from his debut seventh at Goodwood.
For a moment it looked as if the race was going to the other 11-4 joint-favourite Absolutely So, but he had pulled hard and ran out of steam so Zeus Magic stayed on for second, half a length behind.
Hannon stood aside to allow John Dunlop to sign off with a winner from his final runner at the Berkshire course in the Christal Maiden Stakes. Mombasa, well-backed into 13-2 from around 22s in the morning despite showing only a modicum of promise in two previous starts, found a little more than Hannon's World Record.
Dunlop, who is to retire at the end of the season, revealed Mombasa would head to his son Harry in Lambourn.
"I hope to have two or three runners at Newmarket next weekend but that's my last one here, and I've got memories of lots of happy days at Newbury," said the handler, who was pressed for his favourite memory from the track. "That's a tough one. I should say today, and still being here," he said.
The pint-sized Effie B has been a terrific advert for new sire Sixties Icon and took her third race from 14 starts at 16-1 in the Sir Gerald Whent Memorial Nursery. "She's won on fast ground and now on heavy - it all comes the same. She's a smashing little thing," said trainer Mick Channon.
Anya (3-1 favourite) took the Collingwood First Class Service Ltd Handicap for her thrilled trainer Ed Walker, who said: "I set a very ambitious target of 20 winners this season and we've got it, with one in France, so huge thanks to my staff."
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