Ten of the best Flat runners (From Gazette & Herald)

Ten of the best Flat runners

The Easter weekend sees the Flat turf season about to take flight.

As usual, around this time of the year, the spotlight falls on a squad of locally-trained horses, which promise to pay their way through the coming weeks and months.

How about this 10-strong team to keep the bookies on their toes?

Amadeus Wolf (Kevin Ryan)

Although stretching to the outer reaches of Ryedale, Amadeus Wolf is, thankfully, in our catchment area, and we will certainly be claiming him to be one of our own if he manages to write his name on the Classic roll of honour on May 6.

The 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket is the target for the Hambleton colt, who swept all before him last season as a juvenile, winning the Gimcrack Stakes at York and the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. These achievements put him among the top four two-year-olds in Europe.

Reported to have wintered extremely well, Amadeus Wolf will head to Newmarket without a preparatory race, but with a couple of racecourse gallops - one of which he has already had - under his belt.

Having yet to race beyond six furlongs, it is anyone's guess whether he possesses the stamina to stay a mile in Group One company, but trainer Kevin Ryan remains hopeful that he will.

If not, Amadeus Wolf will return to sprinting in what promises to be another exciting year for this multi-talented performer.

Fullandby (Tim Etherington)

Three times a winner last season, Fullandby promises to make further progress as a sprinter this year.

A progressive performer, who gained a notable Newmarket win on his final start as a three-year-old last October, the star of Tim Etherington's Wold House yard in Norton shaped encouragingly on his recent reappearance at Kempton.

Partnered by Kevin Darley, he finished third, beaten less than three lengths in a six-furlong handicap.

At his best, with some give in the ground, he should pay to follow.

Halla San (Richard Fahey)

A new recruit to Richard Fahey's heavily-laden Musley Bank stables, Halla San will never become the best horse in the yard, but he has the potential to develop into a useful money-spinner.

Formerly trained by Lynda Ramsden, he was bought last autumn after chalking up victories at Newcastle and Haydock. There should be more to come for his new handler this season.

Proven on soft ground and well suited by around a mile-and-a-quarter, Halla San looks well enough handicapped to pay his way in average company around the northern circuit.

Inchnadamph (Tim FitzGerald)

A good servant to the Tim FitzGerald stable last season, not least when providing his trainer with his first Newmarket success, Inchnadamph is selected to add to his scoresheet this season.

A keen-going handicapper, he scored three times last term and ended a lucrative campaign by running the race of his life in the Cesarewitch Handicap, in which he belied his 50-1 odds by finishing third from a poor draw to the peerless Sergeant Cecil, being beaten less than three lengths.

Having steadily climbed up the ratings, Inchnadamph faces a tough enough time in the months ahead, but the staying ability he proved he possesses in the Cesarewitch should stand him in good stead. A valuable handicap could come his way.

Kudbeme (Neville Bycroft)

A 33-1 winner at York last summer, Kudbeme proved that success was no fluke by subsequently running well in defeat in handicap company.

A four lengths winner of a modest maiden race on Knavesmire when she was rated only 59, her rating went up 10b as a result. She did, though, finish a close-up fifth at Doncaster next time before going down by only a length in a handicap at Newcastle.

Now a four-year-old, Neville Bycroft's filly is qualified to contest run-of-the-mill handicaps this season and, on the overall evidence of her 2005 campaign, she should be able to pick up a race or two.

Ryedale Ovation (Tim Easterby)

A horse with little mileage on his clock, Ryedale Ovation has every chance of making significant inroads this season if the final start of his restricted juvenile campaign can be used as any guide.

The Tim Easterby-trained gelding contested the £250,000 Tattersalls Auction Stakes at Newmarket and, in finishing eighth, he was beaten less than three lengths by the winner of this strongly-run 30-horse cavalry charge.

A winner at Redcar last April, but off the track throughout the summer, Ryedale Ovation is fancied to come firmly into his own this season as a three year old.

Sir Nod (Julie Camacho)

Reckoned to be a stronger horse this season at the age of four, Sir Nod is expected to make further progress in the sprinting ranks and win more.

There was an unmistakable seam of progression about Julie Camacho's charge last term when he won two races and scored at York at the end of August when getting the better of Nistaki and Pomfret Lad in a thrilling encounter.

A narrow defeat by Fyodor at Wolverhampton in October was subsequently franked several times over by the winner, who went on to become a prolific winner on the sand.

Sir Nod should not be overlooked in handicap company this season.

Swiper Hill (Brian Ellison)

There was plenty to like about the way Swiper Hill opened his winning account at Kempton three weeks ago.

Making his racecourse debut, he looked a little green, but not green enough to prevent him scoring by a neck and half-a-length from Royal Bandit and the hot favourite Pititana over six furlongs.

He may not prove easy to place in the short term, being a once-raced winner, but he is certainly a horse with plenty of potential and Brian Ellison is fancied to find further winning opportunities for him.

Violent Velocity (John Quinn)

From the same Highfield stable, which sent out Blythe Knight to win the Lincoln Handicap on the opening weekend of the season, Violent Velocity is fancied to enjoy his own share of glory as the season unfolds.

A comfortable winner of a maiden race at Wolverhampton in February, John Quinn's three-year-old will now be venturing down the handicap route.

Although his victory on his third outing came over seven furlongs, he looks to have enough speed to cope with a drop back to six, and it will be interesting to see how his season pans out.

It's very much 'promised land' ahead of him, but there is no doubting that he has bags of potential.

Word Perfect (Mick Easterby)

Anyone who saw Word Perfect make a more than pleasing reappearance at Pontefract last week will not be surprised to see her included in this list of horses to follow.

Drawn wide in a big field of sprinters, which is a notable disadvantage on this particular course, the four-year-old shaped really well, staying on from off the pace to nab third prize over six furlongs.

A pretty useful two-year-old in 2004, Word Perfect found life tough in handicap company last season, but she has plummeted down the ratings as a result and is now down to a mark of 65, which is more than 20lb lower than her peak figure.

Soft ground suits her well and it would not be surprising to see her score soon, before the weather improves and underfoot conditions become quicker.

The Malton Racing Association Grand National Ball, held at York Racecourse on Saturday night, again proved a great success, with around 250 revellers enjoying a great evening, and Mick Easterby being awarded the Edward Shouler Trophy as Ryedale's Racing Personality of the Year.

Originally founded by Tony Fawcett and Edward Shouler, this annual award was named in fond memory of the latter after his untimely death and has become a popular prize among the locals.

Easterby, who has been training for 45 of his 75 years, was nominated by members of the MRA, who clearly felt that the Sheriff Hutton stalwart's longevity, his continued success, and his wholesale passion for racing was worthy of public acknowledgement.

Although Easterby was unable to be present, Dale Gibson, one of his regular jockeys, received the trophy on his behalf.

The grand auction, held for the Injured Jockeys' Fund and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, raised more than £3,300. The top price of £850 was paid to secure a VIP hospitality raceday package at York, courtesy of Sky Bet.

The opportunity for four people to go racing at Beverley this summer, to name a race and present the prize afterwards, made £750, while a pair of racing breeches signed by a number of jockeys, including Frankie Dettori, reached £300.

The often thankless job of organising the event was efficiently conducted by MRA secretary Noel Scaling, assisted by Wendy Jackson, secretary to Mick Easterby, who, incidentally, forked out £250 at the auction for her dream ticket - a round of golf with top local professional Simon Dyson at Malton & Norton Golf Club.

Updated: 16:05 Wednesday, April 12, 2006