IT MAY only have been by a whisker, but the winning margin was irrelevant to Tony Hamilton as the Malton jockey celebrated the biggest success of his 14-year career, which has yielded more than 420 winners.

The victory of 25-1 shot Glen’s Diamond in the Group 2 £140,000 QIPCO Yorkshire Cup on Knavesmire last Friday was as thrilling as it was prestigious. Having made the running in the one mile and three-quarters showpiece, the Richard Fahey-trained gelding was strongly tackled throughout the final two furlongs by French raider Top Trip, the mount of Mickael Barzalona, the pair treating racegoers to a rousing finish before crossing the line as one.

“I honestly didn’t know whether I’d won,” said Hamilton after the judge announced Glen’s Diamond as the winner by the minimum margin of a nose.

It was a fitting victory. Glen’s Diamond, owned by Steve and Glen Clayton from Doncaster, had finished second to Red Cadeaux in last year’s Yorkshire Cup. “It’s great for him to come back here this year and win,” said Hamilton.

The triumph of Glen’s Diamond was the high point of a terrific week for Fahey, who is currently in second place in Britain’s trainers’ championship behind Richard Hannon with nearly 60 winners to his credit and prize money of more than £650,000.

Not only did Fahey register his sixth seasonal treble on Friday – the success of Glen’s Diamond was followed up by a brace of winners at Hamilton, courtesy of Good Old Boy Lukey and Heaven’s Guest, both ridden by Lee Topliss – but throughout the week he produced no fewer than six first-time-out juvenile winners.

The list, initiated by Cheveley Park Stud’s Supplicant at Beverley and ended by Mr Carbonfootprint at Ripon on Sunday, also included the aforementioned Good Old Boy Lukey, Canyari at Doncaster, Parbold at York on Thursday and Eccleston at Doncaster on Saturday evening.

Four of those juveniles were ridden by Hamilton, who, with Glen’s Diamond adding some extra sparkle to proceedings, enjoyed a week to savour in what is building nicely towards his best-ever season as a jockey.


ANCIENT CROSS, winner of the five-furlong handicap at York’s Dante Festival in 2011, repeated the feat last week, much to the delight of Steve Hull, his joint-owner.

After seeing the Mick Easterby-trained speedster, now a veteran at the age of nine, land a 14-1 success in Thursday’s opening race in the hands of Paul Mulrennan, who rode a winner on each of the three days of the meeting, Hull was ecstatic.

“There’s nothing better than to win at York and for this horse to win at nine is amazing,” said the York businessman, who shares Ancient Cross with Peter Brown. It was Hull’s ninth York winner as an owner and he lives in hope that Ancient Cross may be able to continue his love affair with the course.

“I used to own Sporting Gesture, who won his last race at 13, so you never know,” he said.


SMOOTHTALKINRASCAL could be in for a return date at York next month after clinching a thrilling Knavesmire victory for his Nawton trainer, David O’Meara.

Ridden by Danny Tudhope, the talented sprinter, who relishes being produced late, got his head in front in the dying stride of the British Stallion Studs Conditions Stakes.

“Danny gave him a great ride,” said O’Meara. “He’s an improving horse and he could come back here next month for the big three-year-old sprint.”


AFTER three memorable days racing on Knavesmire last week, the county’s best venue is preparing for another round of action on Saturday with two Ryedale horses set to be among the thick of the action.

Address Unknown and Move In Time have already enjoyed sizeable pay-days this season and the pair are poised to be chasing further riches on Knavesmire in the feature contests.

Address Unknown, winner of last month’s Chester Cup for Richard Fahey, could move up to Listed company in the Stowe Family Law Grand Cup, while Move In Time, winner of a valuable handicap at Doncaster last month and narrowly beaten in Group 3 company for David O’Meara at Longchamp a couple of weeks ago, promises to be a leading player in the Spring Sprint Handicap.


BRIAN ELLISON has never left anyone in any doubt that one of his ambitions is to send out 100 winners – Flat and jumps – in a calendar year. The Norton trainer is well on target to achieve just that in 2013.

One of the most consistently successful dual-purpose trainers in the country, Ellison sent out Its A Mans World to win a one-mile handicap at Thirsk on Saturday under Paul Pickard and, 24 hours later, he followed up at Market Rasen with handicap hurdler Dizzy River, the mount of Danny Cook.

The two victories took Ellison’s tally to 45 winners since the turn of the year – and we’re not even into June yet. The century target could well be fulfilled by the Spring Cottage team before the year is out at their present rate of scoring.


MR SNOOZY does, by all accounts, live up his name. “He’s that laid-back, he even eats his food lying down,” jokes Sheriff Hutton trainer Tim Walford, who placed the gelding to win at Doncaster last weekend.

The gelding responded to a good ride from Jason Hart to open his seasonal account in the mile-and-a-half handicap and now has the option of bidding for a quick double at Haydock on Friday evening in the ladies’ race.


TIM EASTERBY’S horses are beginning to hit top form after a slow start to the season, a fact highlighted by winners at Thirsk and Doncaster last Saturday.

The promising Ventura Mist took the honours at Thirsk in a remarkable finish, with the first four home in the juvenile maiden separated by only three noses. Not only was Easterby thrilled with Ventura Mist, the mount of Duran Fentiman, he also saddled Azagal, beaten inches into third under David Allan. “They’re two nice fillies,” said the Great Habton trainer.

Allan journeyed on to Doncaster’s evening meeting, where Off Art, a winner at Thirsk’s previous meeting, followed up in the style of a progressive and talented performer with a decisive handicap victory.


JAMES SULLIVAN proved the jockey to follow at Thirsk last Saturday.

The Norton-based Irishman completed a double on Mick Easterby’s Towbee at the rewarding odds of 18-1 and followed up on Klynch for Stillington trainer Ruth Carr at 11-2.


LAWRENCE MULLANEY’S decision to run Jack Luey twice in the space of 48 hours paid handsome dividends at Redcar on Monday when the sprinter won the feature race.

It was a desperately close call, however, with Jack Luey, ridden by Norton jockey Tom Eaves, inching out Ollie Pears’ Last Sovereign by a nose in a photo-finish which was impossible to decipher with the naked eye.

While a frustrated Pears was left to reflect on the poor fortune suffered by Last Sovereign – “That’s three photo-finishes he’s been beaten in this year from his last four starts,” said the Norton trainer – Mullaney was delighted and relieved by the outcome. “I thought we were beaten,” he said.

The Great Habton trainer, who placed Jack Luey to win at Hamilton last season, had felt the gelding was a “bit unlucky” when he finished a close-up fourth at Thirsk on Saturday, which is one of the reasons he felt almost obliged to run him again at Redcar on the Monday. “He likes a bit of cut in the ground, so conditions were ideal for him and there was some good money on offer,” said Mullaney, a former jump jockey, who is one of Tim Easterby’s neighbours.


GOLFING enthusiasts wanting to support a good cause should take note of a charity golf tournament being organised by Gloria Charnock and set to take place on Tuesday, June 11, at Sandburn Hall Golf Club near Flaxton.

All proceeds from the day, which tees off at noon, will go Jack Berry House, the rehabilitation centre for jockeys which is set to be built at Old Malton, and which will be such a benefit for the racing fraternity, and other sports people, in Ryedale.

Apart from the golf, there will be a cold buffet, a grand raffle and an auction, so it promises to be a packed programme throughout the day, which has been carefully chosen to avoid any bad clashes with northern race meetings.

Anyone wanting further details about the event should contact Gloria on 01653 695004.


JACK BERRY HOUSE was on the receiving end of another welcome contribution last weekend at Thirsk races, following a generous and daring gesture by North Yorkshire jockey Adrian Nicholls and his wife Clare.

The couple, who live near the course, had their heads shaved, with Jack Berry himself doing the honours. “Fair play to them for doing it, especially Clare,” said Berry. “I think it’s particularly brave of a woman to have all her hair shaved off. I am very grateful to both of them for their efforts.”

The joint head-shave raised more than £9,000, with proceeds being divided between Jack Berry House and New Beginnings, a charity which helps rehabilitate and re-home ex-racehorses.