Top day for first-season teen jockeys at Hurworth fixture

IT proved to be a day to remember for 17-year-old first-season jockeys Thomas Easterby and Scarlett Frank at the Hurworth fixture with Easterby doubling up on Ask To Dance and Coole Hall, while the former Willie Mullins-trained gelding Vent D’Automne provided Frank with her first winner.

Ask To Dance set the ball rolling for Easterby in the Men’s Open Race but it might have been a different story had Hermann Clermont not fallen five out when still in front and going well. Easterby seized the initiative from that point, sending his mount clear with the favourite Tom Cody never looking like pegging him back in the closing stages. At his best on soft ground and a stayer’s track, the winner’s next target is the 4m2f Grimthorpe Gold Cup Mixed Open at Sheriff Hutton on April 2.

The North’s senior jockey Will Ramsay, 54, sustained broken ribs and a broken collarbone when Hermann Clermont fell and will miss the rest of the season. His misfortune handed Easterby the ride on the Tony Dobbin-trained Coole Hall less than thirty minutes before the Veteran Horse Conditions Race was due to start and the youngster made the most of his unexpected opportunity.

Working hard from the outset to keep the 11-year-old ex-hurdler in touch, Easterby’s perseverance paid off as his mount headed the favourite Monsun Storm after two out before forging clear to score by 15 lengths.

Pony racing graduate Scarlett Frank opened her account on only her sixth ride between the flags on the talented Vent D’Automne in the Ladies Conditions Race. Her mount led from the sixth and despite Ballydonagh Boy’s best efforts that rival always appeared to be fighting a losing battle and was still two lengths down at the finish.

Unfancied Jedburgh raider Amma

Lord came up trumps on his first start for Karen Lynn’s yard in the Restricted Race. Given a peach of a ride by Lucy Brown, he got the better of a prolonged duel with Endless Adventure on the final circuit to score by a length.

His owner Kenny Lynn said: ‘’He was bought privately last year from Rebecca Menzies and it now looks money well spent. We are not getting too excited but he did the job well in a good time on chasing debut after being off the track for 427 days.’’

Mount Mews easily defied a 10lb penalty under John Dawson when completing a hat-trick in the Members Race, while Letthedustsettle made a winning debut for Malton-based owner/trainer Tony Ross in the Maiden Race after pulling out all the stops from the last to snatch a neck verdict over Duke Account. The well related 5-year-old was bought for 11,000 euros at the Goffs Landrover Sale in June 2021.

RESULTS

1.00 (Members’ Race): 1, Mount Mews (J Dawson) 1/3 fav, 2, Fairy Mix (Miss S Frank) 7/1, 3, Tom Flynn (W Brown) 6/1, 5 Ran, 7,Dist. 1.35pm, Restricted Race: 1, Amma Lord (Miss L Brown) 16/1, 2, Endless Adventure (J Dawson) 11/10 fav, 3, Slanemore Hill (N Orpwood) 16/1, 5 Ran, 1,Dist.

2.10 (Ladies Conditions Race): 1, Vent D’Automne (Miss S Frank) 3/1, 2, Ballydonagh Boy (Miss R Howarth) 7/2, 3, Game As A Pheasant (Miss N Irvine) 6/1, 7 Ran, 2,Dist.

2.45 (Men’s Open Race): 1, Ask To Dance (T Easterby) 5/2, 2, Tom Cody (J Dawson) Evens fav, 3, Manetti (J Innes) 8/1, 4 Ran, 10,0.5.

3.20 (Veteran Horse Conditions Race): 1, Coole Hall (T Easterby) 9/4, 2, Monsun Storm (J Dawson) 6/4 fav, 3, Spider Web (J Wright) 14/1, 10 Ran, 15,12.

3.55 (Maiden Race): 1, Letthedustsettle (J Wright) 7/2, 2, Duke Account (J Dawson) 3/1, 3, Therussiansaddler (F Barlow) 6/1, 6 Ran, Nk,20.