Mulrennan finds gap for Spinnaker success (From Gazette & Herald)

Mulrennan finds gap for Spinnaker success

All dressed-up, but with nowhere to go - that was Paul Mulrennan two furlongs out in Monday's Zetland Gold Cup at Redcar.

But inside the final furlong, the Ryedale apprentice's prayers were answered when he finally got the gap he was longing for on Blue Spinnaker, who responded like a champion to force his head in front in the dying strides to claim a first prize of £32,500.

The victory, achieved by a neck and a short-head, was the biggest success of Mulrennan's six-year riding career and came on the same Mick Easterby-trained horse on whom he'd won the Thirsk Hunt Cup earlier this season.

"Most of the way up the straight, I was struggling to get a clear run, but I knew that if I ever did find a gap, this horse had the gears to quicken," said Mulrennan, after riding his sixth winner of the month.

Easterby had not been convinced that his apprentice was going to find a way through the wall of horses.

"I was cursing him and cursing him," admitted the trainer, "but then he managed to find an opening. Paul is a good lad and he's going to be a good jockey, but I'd better not say anymore because I don't want to give him a big head!"

Next stop for Blue Spinnaker, bought by Easterby for only 2,500 guineas from French trainer John Hammond, is likely to be the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot, followed by a tilt at the John Smith's Cup at York.

Updated: 12:13 Wednesday, June 02, 2004