Unbeaten Jimmy earns Easterby joy

Little Jimmy Odsox kept his unbeaten record intact and rounded off an excellent weekend for Tim Easterby with victory in the Skybet Supporting The Yorkshire Racing Summer Festival Handicap at Redcar.

Having beaten a subsequent winner on debut at Doncaster, the 3-1 favourite looked potentially well treated for his handicap debut off a mark of 67 and that theory was borne out.

A slow start may have had his supporters sweating, but David Allan soon got his mount back on an even keel and he stayed on strongly in the rain-softened ground to get up by half a length from the front-running Mecca’s Team.

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Paul Nodding, representing owners Reality Partnerships III, said: “The horse has done it really well. He had a few problems last year but we’ve got him right now and he won nicely over six furlongs at Doncaster.

“We dropped him back to five furlongs as we thought he had plenty of pace and while he was a bit slowly away and is still a bit green, he’s finished really well.

“We also own Hamish McGonagall whose done really well for us. Hopefully Jimmy can follow in his footsteps.”

Easterby and Allan had earlier struck with 6-1 chance Escape Artist, who came out on top in a thrilling finish to division one of the Redcar Cricket Club Handicap, and the Great Habton handler also took top honours on the first day of the 2011 Yorkshire Racing Summer Festival at Ripon, with another double kicked off by See Clearly in the British Stallion Studs EBF Stowe Family Law Maiden Stakes.

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Kelly Harrison did the steering on Easterby’s Playful Girl in the second division of the Bet British With totepool Handicap, while the Richard Fahey-trained Bridle Belle (9-1) repelled Easterby’s King Of The Celts and a host of Newmarket raiders in the feature Ripon Bell-Ringer Handicap.

David O’Meara’s Pepper Lane bounced back to form with a ready victory in Redcar’s tyregiant.com Handicap under Silvestre De Sousa yesterday.

The 11-2 chance bolted up on her first start of the year but disappointed in two subsequent outings. O’Meara said: “She’s done it really well. She jumped out quick at the start and travelled well within herself.

“She was very impressive first time out and she just got fractious in the stalls the next time.

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“She’s only a small filly and I think she was a bit intimidated at Beverley last time, but today she had loads of room and had everything her own way.

“She looked the winner a long way out so we’ll try her in better company.”

Bella Noir defied top-weight in the Help For Heroes And Yorkshire Regiment Fillies’ Handicap.

The Elaine Burke-trained 7-2 shot edged out File And Paint by a short-head to secure her first success since making a brilliant racecourse debut at Newcastle last August. “She’s been a largely disappointing filly, to be honest,” said Burke’s husband Karl.

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“After she won first time out we thought she could even be a black type filly but she hasn’t gone on from there, unfortunately.

“She has her own ideas about the game but she has some ability as well.

“She needs some cut in the ground so we were delighted when the rain arrived.”

Division two of the Redcar Cricket Club Handicap went the way of Fahey’s Wood Fairy.

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The 100-30 favourite put her rivals to the sword by five lengths and more to add to Paul Hanagan’s tally.

The champion jockey said: “She was just too keen at Beverley last time but they have gone a bit quicker today and that has helped her relax.”

Godolphin’s Asatir belied a market drift to make a winning racecourse debut in the EBF Win A VIP Day Out @ redcarracing.co.uk Maiden.

The 7-2 joint-favourite was under pressure from an early stage of the seven-furlong contest but he responded to Ted Durcan’s urgings to secure a half-length win from Tip Top Gorgeous.

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Doctor Zhivago dictated affairs from start to finish to reward favourite backers in the Welcome To Yorkshire Backing A Winner Claiming Stakes.

The 11-10 chance was afforded an easy lead for much of the race and although The Osteopath threw down a strong challenge in the last furlong, Doctor Zhivago pulled out more for Adrian Nicholls to secure a three-quarters-length success.

The Betfair Racing Excellence Apprentice Jockeys Training Series Handicap brought proceedings to a close and went to 3-1 favourite Harvey’s Hope.

Frankie Dettori snatched a last-gasp victory on Blue Bunting in the Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh.

The Newmarket 1000 Guineas winner came with a late surge to mug Banimpire on the line and take the fillies’ Classic for Godolphin and trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni.

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