MICK Easterby’s shrewd placing of Shadows Lengthen enabled the three-year-old to extend his winning sequence to five at Southwell last Friday, in a victory which also had special significance for Jimmy Sullivan, his rider.

The Irish-born apprentice, who joined Easterby’s Sheriff Hutton yard earlier this year, chalked up his third win in a week on Shadows Lengthen and, even more importantly, boosted his career tally to 20 successes, which thus enabled him to reduce his riding allowance to 5lb.

“It’s five up for the horse and five for me in future,” said a smiling Sullivan, after once again making all the running on Shadows Lengthen, who was, nevertheless, made to fight for his victory inside the last two furlongs by persistent runner-up Stormy Summer. Only a neck separated the pair at the line.

Referring to the fact that his mount was carrying a massive 12lb penalty, which boosted his weight to 10st 7lb, Sullivan said: “He had a lot of weight, so it was a good performance to win again.”

Easterby, whose horses have been in great form lately, went on to complete a double at Wolverhampton’s evening meeting with the Phil Makin-ridden Istiqdaam, while Sullivan also doubled-up at the same meeting aboard 16-1 shot Coolnaharan, trained in Ireland by Lee Smyth.


Captain Gerrard, one of the most popular sprinters in these parts in recent years, has been retired to stud in Shropshire.

Trained for Pocklington owner Reg Bond by Bryan Smart at Hambleton, Captain Gerrard won five races as a juvenile and followed up with a notable success in the Group 3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket, beating the Group 1 July Cup winner, Sakhee’s Secret.

The handsome son of Oasis Dream was a particular favourite of Norton jockey Tom Eaves, who rode him to three of his victories, the aforementioned Palace House Stakes, and also the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes at Ascot and Ayr’s Harry Rosebery Stakes, a Listed event.

Captain Gerrard will stand as a stallion at the Mickley Stud, covering for a fee of £3,500, special live foal terms.

Richard Kent, of Mickley Stud, near Market Drayton, where Captain Gerrard is settling in, said: “He is the fastest son of Oasis Deam to stand at stud and, as a good-looking five-times winning two-year-old, he should have great appeal to any commercial breeder.”


THE only certainty about racing is its uncertainty, a fact highlighted by the fate of Danum Dancer, who, back in 2005, provided Norton trainer Neville Bycroft with a major highlight when he clinched the Redcar Two-Year-Old Trophy, a race which boasted a first prize of well over £100,000.

Last week at Southwell, Danum Dancer, now five years old, gained his first win since that unforgettable day in a lowly handicap at Southwell which produced a reward of less than £2,000.

Bycroft, though, was both happy and relieved to see his former stable-star back in the winners’ enclosure. “It’s been a long and bumpy road since that great day at Redcar,” said the trainer.

“He had a serious foot problem, which took a lot of getting to the bottom of, and which kept him off the track for most of last year.”

After seeing Danum Dancer, ridden by Lee Vickers, score in determined style, Bycroft said, “It’s nice to see him win again after all this time. Hopefully, he’s turned the corner now.”