Sport

Bitter-sweet success for Spencer at Newbury

Jamie Spencer picked up a five-day ban for careless riding at Newbury
Jamie Spencer picked up a five-day ban for careless riding at Newbury Jamie Spencer picked up a five-day ban for careless riding at Newbury

Jamie Spencer endured a bittersweet success on Koora in the Worthington's Victoria Club Stakes at Newbury.

He helped boost the value of the filly owned by trainer Luca and Sara Cumani's Fittocks Stud in this Group Three contest, but it came at a price as he picked up a five-day ban for careless riding.

He will be sidelined on November 7 and November 9-12 after the stewards deemed he had manoeuvred Koora towards the rail over a considerable distance, interfering with Melodius.

Having only her fifth career start, Koora (5-2 favourite) relished the rain-softened ground as she emulated her dam Kithanga, who Cumani saddled to take this prize, registered as the St Simon Stakes, in 1993.

She appeared to win with a bit in hand as she held Melodius by a length and a half, despite drifting to the near rail in the closing stages.

Crazy Horse (4-1) got up in the final stride to claim Group Three honours in a dramatic finish to the Worthington's Whizz Kidz Stakes.

A half-brother to last year's Chesham Stakes winner Richard Pankhurst, the 4-1 shot was another big-race success for John Gosden.

Crazy Horse, who made a winning debut at Newmarket a month ago, won by a nose from Start Time with Return Of The Mak a nose away in third, but that only tells half the story.

Start Time had looked set to score when leading over a furlong out, but he veered all over the track, causing problems to Opera Baron in particular.

Rab Havlin kept Crazy Horse out of the trouble towards the stands side and drove out the Sleeping Indian colt to grab the seven-furlong heat, registered as the Horris Hill Stakes.

"It's great fun, he's a home bred from a cheap mare," said Gosden, who was speaking from Doncaster where he received his champion trainers' trophy.

"He was still very green but he stuck his neck out. He's been a slow learner."

Start Time's jockey William Buick was banned for five days for careless riding. He will be out on November 7 and 9-12.


Chastushka (100-30 favourite) completed a double for Gosden when showing a neat turn of foot under Buick to make a winning debut in Division Two of the Al Basti Equiworld EBF Stallions Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

Hughie Morrison's Last Tango Inparis (4-1) ground out victory under Liam Keniry in the first division.

Light Music (evens favourite) led home a one-two for The Queen with a game performance in the Listed Al Basti Equiworld Celebration Stakes, registered as the Radley Stakes.

Pat Cosgrave set sail for home two furlongs out on the William Haggas-trained filly but she was all out in the testing conditions to hold Make Fast, from Andrew Balding's stable, by a neck.

Fourth Way also put in good late work to take third place, a length and a quarter away.

The Andrew Balding-trained Passover (12-1) turned the Bathwick Tyres Handicap into a procession, romping home by eight lengths from Silvery Moon in the hands of Franny Norton.

Luke Morris was banned for two days (November 7 and 9) on the unplaced Gold Prince for careless riding.