First Listed win for Ross Coakley on Glenartney

Ed Walker’s filly had to be brave.

Glenartney provided jockey Ross Coakley with the first Listed success of his career with a battling victory in the Sky Bet Sunday Series Pontefract Castle Fillies’ Stakes.

A field of seven runners went to post for the mile and a half feature, with Bartzella all the rage as the 11-10 favourite in her bid to claim a fourth win from five starts.

But the warning signs were out for her supporters from an early stage, with Danny Tudhope – fresh from riding four winners at Royal Ascot – hard at work a long way out and she was ultimately well beaten.

The Ed Walker-trained Glenartney had failed to add to her tally in six starts since opening her account at Newmarket in October 2020, but did run with credit when third in a Group Three at York last month.

Stepping back down in trip, the 9-2 chance travelled strongly for much of race and was tough when she needed to be in the closing stages to see off Goldie Hawk by a neck.

Coakley told ITV Racing: “She’s tough. Our main worry before the race was a lack of pace and being drawn one I didn’t know whether to make the running with her which isn’t something we’d be keen to do in a normal situation because all she does is gallop.

“But it worked out nicely, they went a good gallop, she switched off beautifully and travelled well through the run.

“She maybe rolled around a bit and got a bit lonely but I always felt she was just about doing enough and it’s a big win for connections with her being a filly.

“That’s a big personal landmark for me, my first stakes win, so I’m very grateful to Ed and connections for giving me the opportunity. Obviously I rode her in the Bronte Cup at York last time when we felt we were a little unlucky on the day and she’s a filly I think we’ll see the best of in the autumn when she’ll get slower ground.”

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