Tender loving care has brought to fruition much of the latent ability of six-year-old Diescentric, now trained at Norton by Julie Camacho.

This well-bred son of Diesis out of a Green Desert mare, was bred in the USA and went into training with the late Sir Henry Cecil at Warren Place in Newmarket.

Obviously backward as a youngster, he did not appear until the spring of 2010, in the Wood Ditton Stakes for unraced three-year-olds, a race which has produced Classic winners in past years.

A big, good looking colt, he won this in good style and appeared to have the potential to go on to better things but it seems training difficulties restricted his racecourse appearances.

In fact, now six, he has only run 15 times.

Since joining Camacho just over a year ago, Diescentric has shown improvement on the track and has won three of his last four races, the latest at Newcastle last Saturday.

Ridden by Paul Mulrennan, he stormed to victory by two-and-a-half lengths in the Betfred sponsored £20,000 seven-furlong handicap.

Camacho’s assistant – and husband, Steve Brown – said the horse was always very talented but immature, and needs some give in the ground.

Rain at Newcastle last week produced ideal conditions for him.

Providing the going is suitable he will next go for the Betfair Handicap, a valuable seven furlongs contest at Ascot at the end of this month.

After that the Ayr Gold Cup is a possibility.

Two days before Diescentric’s win, Black Rider had given the Camacho/Mulrennan combination a win in another handicap over seven furlongs on the Gosforth Park track.

In this race, a clutch of Easterby-trained horses followed home Black Rider, with Surround Sound and Storma Norma, trained by Tim, filling second and fourth spots, while Perfect Pasture, trained by Mick, finished third.

 

• The lady amateur riders’ handicap at Pontefract on Monday provided another high spot for the Easterby family.

This race saw Tapis Libre, trained at Sheriff Hutton by Mick, race home for a fine victory ridden by his grand-daughter, Jackie Coward.

Just to keep everything in the family, Tapis Libre is owned by Susan Mason, one of Mick’s two daughters.

The two big races at the popular Carlisle meeting last week again saw the Easterby clan in full flight.

The bookmakers.co.uk Carlisle Bell and the totepool.com Cumberland Plate are the two most valuable handicaps for horses rated nought to 85 in the country and always attract large, competitive fields.

Silvery Moon, trained by Tim, was sent off a 6-1 chance in the Bell, and York jockey Robert Winston brought him with a strong run up the middle of the track that proved decisive, to win by a head from Chookie Royale, with favourite Pacific Heights a further length-and-three-quarters back in third.

In the Plate, it was the turn of uncle Mick, when Warlu Way, ridden by Graham Gibbons, just got the verdict in a blanket finish, from Franciscan, with Cousin Khee and Mica Mika in close attendance.

 

• Ryedale racing greeted two new centurions last week.

About one hour after Lee Topliss gained the 100th win of his riding career at Newcastle last Thursday, Norton trainer Ollie Pears totted up a century of training successes when Serena Brotherton steered the seven-year-old Noodles Blue Boy to victory at Leicester.

Topliss gained his 95th win, and lost his apprentice allowance, when Odyssey won at Thirsk a couple of weeks ago and it has taken little time for him to top up the hundred.

Many jockeys find that there is a lull in their career when the allowance is missing, but Topliss has continued in fluent style.

Pears is best remembered for winning the John Smith’s Magnet Cup at York in 1992 as a 17-year-old apprentice jockey on Mr Confusion.

The race was notable because, although veering left at the finish, Mr Confusion won on merit but was disqualified by the stewards. This decision was overturned on appeal and the winner was reinstated.

Starting as a trainer with just four horses, Pears has built up his string and has a steady stream of winners.

He told me that it was most appropriate that Noodles Blue Boy should give him his 100th win.

“Actually,” he said. “My wife, Vicky, trains the horse. She absolutely adores him.

“She rides him out regularly and takes charge. I think I’d probably do too much with him.

“He’s given us nine wins now.

“My Arch winning the Musselburgh Gold Cup in 2010 was my biggest winner, but Noodles Blue Boy is my favourite.”

 

• Norton-based jockey Freddie Tylicki had a rather exciting weekend.

After a double shift on Saturday, riding at Newmarket in the afternoon and Doncaster in the evening, on Sunday he jetted off to Vienna to ride the winner of the Austrian Derby on German trained Magic Art.

Trained at Munich by Wolfgang Figge, Magic Art dominated the race at the historic Freudenau track and won at odds of almost 11-1.

Tylicki said: “I had a fantastic day. I’m off again next Sunday – to ride in the German Derby.”

Another even younger rider with local connections was in the winner’s enclosure on Sunday. Jack Garritty rode his first winner at Salisbury on Breakheart for trainer Andrew Balding.

Jack is the son of Russ Garritty, long-time jump jockey and weighing room joker, who is now a general factotum at Tim Easterby’s Great Habton stable.

 

• ON Sunday, I paid a second visit to see your regular correspondent, Tom O’Ryan, now recovering at home from the major operations after his dreadful freak accident.

Tom, who at present is in a body brace whenever out of bed, is making real progress.

When I arrived he and his partner, Wendy Barry, were setting up the Racing Post on an iPad. Quite a challenging task.

Their home is decorated with more than 150 cards received from friends and colleagues after the accident.

He is to be assessed by surgeons late in July, but I am certain that his combination of fitness, good humour and determination, plus the unstinting 24/7 support of Wendy, will see him through this period of sheer frustration.

Tom told me of the amount of metalwork now in his pelvis and spine and I do wonder just how many alarm bells will start ringing when he next goes through airport security.