In these unprecedented times, Yorkshires Garden Racecourse saw a return to action staging its first meeting of the 2020 season albeit not as we have come to know. Some horses have used the course as a springboard to high profile victories elsewhere, notably last year with horses such as A’Ali, Under The Stars and Spartan Fighter who went on to record notable scalps. Perhaps we have seen another smart juvenile performer as the James Tate trained Risk Of Thunder readily won our first race of the season, the British Stallion Studs EBF Winksley Maiden Fillies’ Stakes getting off the mark at the second attempt. Staying on strongly under the stands rail, the son Night Of Thunder swiftly powered away from the field under PJ McDonald who enjoyed a fine evening in North Yorkshire.
Well hyped prior to the off Streak Lightning effortlessly won the Risplith Novice Stakes for Mark Johnston. The well touted favourite received a nice toe into the race and when the treble seeking PJ McDonald popped the question, the three year old colt accelerated away from the chasing pack to give McDonald a treble on the card. He will have learned plenty from the experience and looks destined to go on to better things.
Fresh from his Royal Ascot success with Art Power, Tim Easterby was present to watch his crop contest races across the card. Bossipop made the Great Habton-based trainers trip the garden racecourses a fruitful one as he claimed his fourth win at the track Division II of the Summerbridge handicap under David Allan, fighting out a thrilling finish with the ever closing Abel Handy.
Good things come to those who wait, and they certainly did for Paul Mulrennan as he recorded a double in the final two races on the card. In our feature race of the evening, the Ripon, Yorkshire’s Garden Racecourse Handicap, a sweeping move aboard course specialist Benadalid manoeuvred the Chris Fairhurst trained gelding from last to first and pulled away from a battling Hats Off To Larry. Mulrennan then notched a brace at his local track, taking the finale with complete ease on-board Eastern Sherriff for Hugo Palmer. The 3-year-old colt dispatched his opposition lengthening away to win by 6 lengths in the Bishop Thornton Handicap, leaving the impression there could be plenty more to come.