Fourth success for Another Kate at Hereford Racecourse (From Hereford Times)

Fourth success for Another Kate at Hereford Racecourse

4:00pm Wednesday 27th June 2012 in Sport By Graham Saveker

ANOTHER Kate, ridden by Robert Williams, confirmed her liking for Hereford Racecourse when she recorded her fourth course win on Hereford’s Ladies Day meeting on Sunday, with a dramatic three-quarters-of-a-length win, writes Graham Saveker.

Owned and trained by Cross Ash permit holder David Richards, Another Kate was sent off 100/30 in the non-runner race to repeat last year’s win in the corresponding two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle and her fourth career win at the course.

Leading for most of the race, Another Kate seemed beaten when headed by 25/1 shot First Beauty approaching the final hurdle but, responding well to Williams’ urgings, she rallied close home to score by three-quarters-of-a-length, giving the jockey his first win as a professional.

A delighted Richards confirmed: “She seems to love this place as she’s won here four times now.

“We have an undulating grass gallop at home and I suppose the layout of the course is similar to that.”

Tony McCoy teamed up with East Sussex trainer Jim Best’s Weybridge Light in the two-mile-one-furlong handicap hurdle and ther partnership was sent off 3/1 favourites.

Despite looking a hard ride, McCoy kept his mount up to his work in the final mile of the race and was six lengths to the good of runner-up the Lemonpie at the finish.

Another trainer who made a long trip was Simon West from Middleham in Yorkshire with The Tiddly Tadpole in the two-mile-one-furlong handicap hurdle and he was happy to go back with the prize.

West admitted the five-and-a-half hour trip was daunting: “It took a long time to get here but I am so glad we came as the horse wants good or faster ground and everything in the north has been on the soft side or worse.”

Newmarket trainer John Ferguson, who combines training with being Sheik Mohammed’s bloodstock advisor, scored another victory in his hobby when sending out Dubawi Phantom in the two-mile-one-furlong handicap hurdle.

Making his handicap debut, Dubawi Phantom was always prominent under jockey Jack Quinlan and, after leading approaching the final hurdle, they came home comfortable length-and-a-half winners and could easily score again.

l Horse racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght said the death of jockey Campbell Gillies has stunned the sport.

Gillies had ridden more than 50 winners for trainer Lucinda Russell, the partner of eight-time Herefordshire champion jockey Peter Scudamore.

The National Hunt jockey died this week, aged 21, after an accident on holiday in Corfu.

Gillies partnered Brindisi Breeze to victory in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

But Brindisi Breeze died last month in a road accident. BBC pundit Lysaght, from Herefordshire, said Campbell Gillies was a rising star, adding that Brindisi Breeze’s Cheltenham triumph had been a joyous occasion.

He added: “But barely three months later, neither jockey nor horse is still with us. Stunned is the only word to describe the feeling right across the sport at this tragedy.”