Princess bridges gap at Catterick
Tuesday 7 August 2012
A return to Catterick helped Gap Princess rediscover her best form in the Pin Point Recruitment Handicap.
Geoff Harker's mare had registered three previous victories at the North Yorkshire circuit, but her last taste of success was over two years ago at Ripon. However, the 7-1 shot knuckled down well in the hands of Robert Winston to beat Blue Shoes by a length.
The Thirsk-based handler said: "She's had a problem and we couldn't find out what was stopping her. We've found out what it was now and we've put it right, so hopefully she's on the upward curve again. She's been a different horse at home and in everything she does."
Medicoe justified strong market support when landing the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for Sir Mark Prescott. A sole runner on the card for the Newmarket handler, the juvenile was the 4-6 favourite after having shown ability on his last couple of starts.
Main market rival Excellent Mariner briefly threatened to upset the odds when challenging a couple of furlongs down, but Medicoe eventually asserted under Luke Morris to score by two and a half lengths.
Mark Johnston's magical run of form continued as he registered a double, beginning when Bute Hall proved much too good for his rivals in the ABF The Soldier's Charity Handicap.
Facing just four largely exposed rivals, the 6-5 favourite got the job done in good style under Silvestre de Sousa, coming home with two and a quarter lengths in hand over Raleigh Quay.
De Sousa and the Middleham trainer completed the brace when 6-4 favourite Croftamie denied Eijaaz a second successive win in the Go Racing In Yorkshire Classified Claiming Stakes.
Piste (8-1) and Paul Mulrennan grabbed victory by a head in a three-way tussle for the 17th August Is Ladies' Evening Handicap and could be back in action at Newcastle on Wednesday.
Winning trainer Tina Jackson said: "It's taken a while, but I'm delighted to see her win again and she seems in really good form at the moment. We've put an eye-shield on her recently and that seems to have helped her. Paul gave her a very strong ride and everything worked out well."
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