Twilight's Thirsk triumph
Last Updated: 16/09/14 6:25pm
A review of the action from Thirsk on Tuesday, where Twilight Son justified high expectations to maintain his unbeaten record.
Twilight Son was backed as if defeat was out of the question in the thirskracecourse.net Nursery Handicap and while his backers will have been sweating at one stage, the odds-on favourite eventually won in the style of smart horse.
He is certainly in the right hands as trainer Henry Candy will ensure the Kyllachy colt will be placed to best effect and as a half-brother to the top-class Music Master, he has the pedigree to make it to the top.
Winner of a Salisbury maiden on his debut, he was given an initial mark of 77 by the handicapper and it will be interesting to see how the assessor reacts to this success as the winning distance was only half a length.
However, that does not tell even half the story as he was very slowly away, ran into the back of one of his rivals and was stuck with nowhere to go.
When the gap on the rail did eventually appear, he shot through it and the 4/7 favourite beat Eastern Racer without coming under any undue pressure.
Winning jockey Fergus Sweeney said: "He did it well in the end. He was green early and you need to remember that he has only had one run, all the rest had had a few more.
"His inexperience showed at the start and that's obviously an important part of the race.
"He made the ground up easily and is a class act. I wasn't confident the gap would appear but it came in time.
"He stays and is obviously well bred."
Candy said from Chepstow that it was likely Twilight Son would not run again this season.
Kevin Ryan's Comino (8/1) maintained his 100% record at his local track in the Constant Security Services Handicap.
A winner at the venue on his debut last year, he appeared to lose his way before bouncing back to win here last month over seven furlongs and followed up over the same course and distance under Tom Eaves.
Nameitwhatyoulike stumbled on the bend and without that may have finished closer than half a length.
"He's just come back to himself, he had some little problems early in the year," said Ryan.
"He got a lovely position and Tom felt he was always going to win.
"He's better with cut in the ground so this should be his time of year.
"He might have another one or two runs this season but he'll be even better next year."
Hostile Fire (9/2) has paid his way for Ed De Giles this season and may not be finished yet after winning for the fourth time this season in the Follow Us @ThirskRaces Handicap.
James Doyle brought him down the centre of the track to beat Emef Diamond by three-quarters of a length.
"We came here because I was looking for a bit easier ground," said De Giles.
"He got no run at Haydock last time and otherwise I think he might have nearly won.
"I've got two horses for a 10-furlong £50,000 handicap at Chester on Saturday week and if it's soft he'll run."
Doyle had earlier won on Sir Michael Stoute's Eye Contact (5/4 favourite) in the David Boowie Jordan Thirsk Competition Winner Maiden Stakes in the colours of his boss, Khalid Abdullah.
Paul Hanagan was also successful in the Hamdan Al Maktoum silks that he has worn to great success this year, winning on Richard Hannon's Karraar (11/8 favourite) in the Thirsk Racecourse For Wedding Receptions Maiden Stakes.