New life ahead for Ryedale sprinter Mayson (From Gazette & Herald)

New life ahead for Ryedale sprinter Mayson

3:22pm Wednesday 8th August 2012 in Sport

Ryedale’s most celebrated sprinter has had his future career as a stallion secured after being bought by Newmarket-based Cheveley Park Stud, where he will retire at the end of the season.

Trained by Richard Fahey for David and Emma Armstrong, who also bred him and raised him by hand after his dam had died within months of his birth, Mayson has won on all of his three visits to Newmarket this year and clinched a memorable Group 1 success with a wide-margin win in last month’s Darley July Cup in the hands of Paul Hanagan.

A son of Invincible Spirit, Mayson will continue to race for current connections for the remainder of this season before taking up stallion duties.

Chris Richardson, managing director of Cheveley Park, which is owned by David and Patricia Thompson, who have purchased a majority share in the colt, said: “Mayson is currently the highest-rated, foremost sprinter of 2012, following his impressive win in the July Cup.

“Mr and Mrs Thompson are delighted to secure the future of Mayson for British breeders. He complements Cheveley Park Stud’s highly proven and commercial portfolio of stallions in every way.”

Fahey, delighted to see a deal completed which will keep Mayson in Britain, has the option of running the four-year-old next in either the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes over five furlongs at York on August 24 or the six furlongs Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock on September 8.

David Armstrong said: “I could not be more delighted that Mayson’s future as a stallion will be at Cheveley Park Stud, an operation with whom my wife, Emma, and I have enjoyed doing business over the years. We look forward to this continuing for many years to come.”

• Mark Collins’ York-based Minster Veterinary Group is to launch a new practice in Ryedale and is set to showcase the facility at the Malton Stables Open Day on Sunday, August 26.

To be based at Widger Mews, next door to Wendy Hoggard’s White Rose Saddlery shop on Langton Road on the outskirts of Norton , and adjacent to Tim Etherington’s Wold House yard, Minster Vets will have an office and reception area, together with an examination room.

“We service eight racing stables in the Malton area, as well as Norton Grove Stud, and this new facility is designed to improve that service to our clients,” explained Collins.

“Operations will still be carried out at our main practice at Poppleton, but at Norton we will be able to do examinations and X-rays as well as scoping and scanning horses. There will be a vet and a receptionist in attendance five mornings a week, from 7.30am until 1pm, and clients will also be able to pick up drugs from there.”

Collins, whose practice provides the veterinary service to all meetings at York Racecourse, is looking forward to getting the Norton branch up and running.

“It’s perfectly situated. It’s just out of town, next door to White Rose Saddlery, there are good parking facilities and it’s very close to the gallops,” he said.

“People will be able to look around it at the Malton Stables Open Day later in the month.”

White Rose Saddlery will also be open during the Open Day, while Wendy Hoggard is aiming to double up by doing a saddlery demonstration at Malcolm Jefferson’s Newstead yard during the morning.

•George Chaloner’s first ride at Glorious Goodwood produced a glorious moment on Saturday when the Ryedale apprentice posted his biggest-ever success – at odds of 22-1.

Johannes, one of four runners from the Richard Fahey yard in the Stewards’ Sprint Handicap – the £30,000 ‘consolation race’ for horses which fail to make the cut in the showpiece Stewards’ Cup later on the card – beat 27 rivals to provide Chaloner with his 15th win and by far the most valuable success of his fledgling career.

“What a buzz. It was great to ride a winner at Goodwood on my first ride there, especially in such a competitive race on a big Saturday,” said Chaloner, who has struck up a good rapport with Johannes. He also won on the gelding at Doncaster last month.

Johannes was a useful ally to Chaloner at Goodwood. Three years ago, he won the same Stewards’ Sprint Handicap in the hands of Tony Hamilton.

On Saturday, Hamilton was successful on Jamesbo’s Girl, the second leg of a course double for Fahey and his third winner of the day, after Lord Aeryn at Thirsk , in the six-furlong nursery.

• Gary Mahon was another local apprentice to enjoy a red-letter victory last weekend.

Mahon, a product of the Irish Apprentice Academy, joined Tim Easterby ’s Great Habton yard this year and notched his first-ever win on Another Citizen at Thirsk on Friday.

In breaking his duck, Mahon denied stablemate Rachel Richardson, who rode the Easterby stalwart Ryedane into second place, her first winner as a professional, following a single success as an amateur.

Another Citizen contributed to yet another good week for Easterby, who is enjoying a fine campaign.

Maybeagrey and Shrimper Roo, both ridden by Duran Fentiman, were also successful at Thirsk for the trainer, who was likewise on the mark at Doncaster with the Ted Durcan-ridden Silvery Moon, and at Market Rasen with handicap hurdler Favours Brave.

• It is proving a memorable period for young local riders raising their profile.

Declan Levey added his name to the list at Wolverhampton on Monday evening when scoring his first win on only his third mount.

Partnering Porgy for his Norton boss, Brian Ellison, Levey pushed out the 7-2 shot to gain a decisive win in the amateur riders’ handicap.

The 21-year-old believes his future lies over jumps, unlike his elder brother, Flat jockey Sean, who rides for top trainer Richard Hannon.

• Patience has been a virtue within the Neville Bycroft team regarding Willbeme, who was forced to spend much of last season on the sidelines.

It was back to business on Saturday at Doncaster, when the four-year-old gained a decisive two-lengths success in the fillies’ handicap.

Having raced only four times in her life, Willbeme looks a filly to follow. “She fractured her pelvis after her only run last season and had to have four months’ box-rest and then time out in the paddock,” said Seb Spencer, Bycroft’s grandson and assistant.

• Mick Easterby could hardly have his horses in better form. The Sheriff Hutton trainer is sending out winners galore at the moment and enjoyed a particularly productive spell last week.

After Gold Rules, ridden by his granddaughter, Jacqueline Coward, had bolted up by a wide margin at Beverley on Tuesday, Easterby followed up with Kalk Bay, ridden by Jimmy Sullivan, at Redcar on Wednesday, Aerodynamic, a well-backed winner for David Nolan at Nottingham on Thursday and Mill End Dancer, another for Sullivan, at Musselburgh on Friday evening.

• Harriet Bethell pulled off a shock victory in the amateur riders’ race at Musselburgh last Friday aboard the Phil Kirby-trained Stormy Morning.

Bethell, who is attached to the Brian Ellison yard, gained a 20-1 success on the gelding, keeping him going strongly to hold off the fast-finishing 3-1 favourite Sohcahtoa, the mount of Serena Brotherton.

Brotherton, however, gained compensation at Newbury on Sunday when scoring on 10-1 shot Hamilton Hill for Welsh trainer Dai Burchell.Barry McHugh, having ridden a double at Beverley earlier in the week, produced an encore at Thirsk last Saturday, which included landing the feature race on the card.

The Norton jockey gained a narrow win in the £30,000 Thirsk Summer Cup aboard Lord Aeryn, who got home by the skin of his teeth at 20-1 to gain his first success of the season for Richard Fahey.

• McHugh, who had won the seller earlier on the card aboad Scarlet Prince for Tony Coyle, was following up his brace of wins at Beverley, achieved on Tracy Waggot’s Shadowtime and Fine Kingdom, trained by Brian Ellison, whose horses are in excellent form. That includes his jumpers, one of which, Fleet Dawn, scored at Market Rasen on Sunday, The Spring Cottage handler was also triumphant at Redcar in the week with the rejuvenated Florio Vincitore, ridden by Dale Swift, and at Thirsk with It’s A Man’s World, the mount of Paul Pickard, who had gained a shock success at Redcar aboard the Hugh McWilliams-trained Indian Giver, who was returned at 22-1.

There was another Ryedale winner at Thirsk on Saturday when the David O’Meara-trained Lucky Numbers was ridden to six-furlong victory by Daniel Tudhope with a sextet of rivals on his heels – all of whom also hail from North Yorkshire, from the yards of Declan Carroll, Ollie Pears, Mel Brittain and Tim Easterby

• It was a family affair when Muftarres won at Thirsk last Friday, but the gelding’s owner was conspicious by his absence.

Westow trainer Paul Midgley said: “He’s owned by my father, who is also my landlord. But he decided to stay at home and turn some hay instead of coming racing.”