Pontefract review: Pears picks up Ponte feature
Last Updated: 18/09/14 5:54pm
A review of Thursday's action from Pontefract, where the Ollie Pears-trained Augusta Ada won the feature contest.
Ollie Pears picked up his biggest win of the season to date when Augusta Ada bounced back to form to land the feature EBF Stallions Breeding Winners Fillies' Handicap at Pontefract.
With £15,000 on offer some decent horses were in opposition but Pears has always held the daughter of Byron in high regard.
After a promising juvenile season which saw her mix it with some of the best fillies, she had seemingly failed to progress this term but given a waiting ride by Robert Winston she sprang a 16/1 surprise, beating Misplaced Fortune by two and a half lengths.
"I've always said she'd win a big one, but I'm a little surprised it's today," said Pears.
"She had some good form last year with the likes of Parbold and Dutch Courage and she had to give lumps of weight to J Wonder in a nursery one day.
"She's just not been quite right this year, but she had blossomed recently.
"Robert gave her a lovely ride - when he's at the top of his game there's no one better.
"I've won a couple of 10 grand races, but this would be the biggest (this season)."
Newmarket-based James Tate returned to his roots to finally get a win out of Free Entry in the Racing UK Anywhere Available Now Median Auction Maiden Stakes, the first leg of a treble for Kieren Fallon.
Second on all four of her previous runs, the 11/8 favourite had been a beaten favourite on three of those.
Despite getting outpaced at halfway, Fallon kept at her and she eventually beat Gold Pursuit by half a length.
"She's not winning out of turn," said Tate.
"I don't think she's ungenuine, she just kept on bumping into one. I thought I'd found her a winnable race last time and then the winner goes and wins again.
"She wants to go up in trip really, she might even go over seven furlongs.
"Getting a win was the main thing, we can go up in class now."
The victory of Mark Johnston's Potent Embrace (9/2 joint-favourite) in the Watch RacingUK Anywhere Using Our iPad App Handicap gave a big clue towards the winner of the following race.
Fallon was seen to good effect on Alan Swinbank's Legal Waves in the Book Your Christmas Party Here on 0113 2876387 Handicap, who had beaten Potent Embrace by eight lengths last time out.
Another who has had the misfortune of bumping into a better class of horse throughout his career, the 9/4 favourite just wore down The Character inside the final furlong, winning by three-quarters of a length.
"He's a good horse, he's bumped into some very good horses in his career and he's always just found one or two too good," said Swinbank.
"When I saw the Johnston horse win earlier it boosted my confidence a bit as we beat that easily last time out.
"No one rides this place better then Kieren.
"He's in at the sales so we'll have to see what happens there."
Fallon's third winner, Sov (5/6 favourite) in the Don't Miss Any Action With RacingUK Anywhere Maiden Stakes, tried to throw it away with the race in the bag by drifting right across the track but such was the lack of strength in depth he was still a comfortable winner.
Trainer Alan McCabe said: "Kieren said he could have won 30 lengths if he knew what he was doing.
"I couldn't have found an easier race as I think highly of him but it will do him the world of good mentally.
"I'd like to highly try him and will have a chat to the guy who owns him with me."
Mick Appleby's Hell Hath No Fury (5/1) gained her first win on turf in the Book Your 20th October totepool Package Handicap (Round 6 Of Pontefract Stayers Championship 2014) under Andrew Mullen.
In danger of being pigeon holed as an all-weather specialist, she held off the favourite Aiyana by half a length with the pair 10 lengths clear.
"She's a half-sister to Darley Sun and he won a Cesarewitch so she was always going to want a trip," said Appleby.
"She'll make a nice hurdler in time. Last time out I ran her back too quick, so that was my fault."