Salisbury races: a 100-1 chance takes the opening race - a first win for Megan Trainor
Haraz (on the left) wins at 100-1 - Miss Megan Trainor's first win (Photo: Denis Murphy)Salisbury Racecourse welcomed racegoers on a sunny Bank Holiday Friday for their twelfth meeting of the season, with a six-race evening card featuring the Listed Stonehenge Stakes.
There was huge upset in the opening race, the Shipseys Marquees Amateur Riders’ Handicap, run over a mile, as 100-1 shot Haraz made all under jockey Miss Megan Trainor to provide her with her first racecourse victory.
Haraz, trained by Paddy Butler had only won one out of his previous 56 races and was 3lb out of the handicap, but after bounding out of the stalls, he was never headed.
Hugo Palmer saddled his first winner of the 2019 Salisbury season. Hamish Macbeth was sent off as a 1/2 price favourite, in the Draintech Tankers EBF Novice Auction Stakes under the mount of jockey Jack Mitchell.
The drop in grade and the step up in trip was certainly appreciated by Walkonby, a comfortable winner of The Signs In Motion Nursery Handicap for trainer and owner Mick Channon and jockey Franny Norton.
Elsewhere on the card another outsider shook up the punters. 16-1 outsider Song Of The Isles gave Jane Elliott her first career win at the Netherhampton track for trainer Heather Main - cruising to a three length win in The Edwards Ford Foray Motor Group Handicap.
The feature race of the day, the £30,000 Listed Longines Irish Champions Weekend EBF Stonehenge Stakes went to the David Simcock trained colt Mohican Heights, ridden by Jamie Spencer, in the colours of Qatar Racing, who had made the long but worthwhile trip down to Salisbury for the evening card after an afternoon riding at York.
Mohican Heights winning the Listed Stonehenge Stakes under Jamie Spencer (Photo: Denis Murphy)
Jamie Spencer wasn’t the only jockey to make the trip from York to Salisbury. Oisin Murphy, leading in the 2019 jockey championship, had rides in the last three on the card. Murphy justified favouritism on board previous course winner Cambric for the Roger Charlton yard in the closing race, the 1 mile 6-furlong Venture Security Handicap.
Salisbury next race on Tuesday, 3 September in the evening and Thursday, 5 September in the afternoon for their Shadwell Dick Poole Fillies’ Day. Tickets available at the Racecourse website