RACING: Channon praise for winning jockey (From Herald Series)

RACING: Channon praise for winning jockey

8:09am Thursday 2nd July 2009

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West Ilsley trainer Mick Channon was full of praise for jockey Tony Culhane after his victory aboard Som Tala in the John Smith’s Northum-berland Plate at Newcas-tle.

The 40-year-old rider seized the initiative from a handy inside draw to dictate his own pace on the six-year-old in Europe’s richest two-mile handicap.

And he kept the 16-1 shot going to see off all challengers, before landing the first prize of £110,970 by three-quarters of a length from Wells Lyrical.

Channon, who watched the race at home, said: "We didn't plan to make it, but Tony has got it dead right and all credit to him, it was a superb piece of jockeyship.

"We thought we'd be handy, but nobody wanted to go on and Tony's dictated the gallop.”

Channon and Culhane went on to complete a 55-1 double when The Human League got off the mark in the six-furlong maiden.

Meanwhile, the West Ilsley trainer was out of luck with Youmzain in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

The six-year-old was attempting to repeat last year’s victory in the Group 1 contest, but partnered by Christophe Soumillon for the first time, he could finish only third behind Sir Michael Stoute's Spanish Moon.

Wantage trainer Henry Candy’s belief that the racecourse would bring the best out of Dorback proved well founded as the colt made a winning debut at Windsor.

The son of Kyllachy strode out in grand style under Dane O’Neill to beat Buzzword by a length and a half in the second division of the six-furlong maiden.

When it was suggested the win wasn’t unexpected, Candy replied: “I had no concrete evidence, but I thought when he got to the races he would wake up and do his stuff.”

Dorback is set to have one more run before being aimed at the DBS St Leger Sales race at the York Ebor meeting.

Darryll Holland’s enterprise helped Huygens spring a 25-1 shock for West Ilsley trainer Denis Coakley at Folkestone.

The 37-year-old jockey worked out that the ground on the far side was quicker than the stands’ side.

Switching over to there from the start, he brought the son of Zafeen home by two and three-quarter lengths.

Whatcombe trainer Paul Cole landed an across-the-card double with Traphalgar at Beverley and Mistic Magic at Newbury.

Traphalgar formed the middle leg of a treble for Greg Fairley when justifying favouritism in a mile and a quarter handicap at the east Yorkshire track, while nearer to home Mistic Magic took a seven-furlong maiden fillies’ stakes at the Berkshire venue in the hands of Martin Dwyer.

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