Jack Lander the toast of Pontefract with first victory

Abd Hollie Doyle warms up for Group One weekend with a four-timer.

Karl Burke was delighted to provide fledgling jockey Jack Lander with his first winner aboard Tele Red in the opening race at Pontefract on Wednesday.

Lander became something of a social media star in racing circles a few years ago after raising over GBP 30,000 for charity through a series of sponsored walks.

Still aged just 16, Lander is now pursuing a career in the saddle, joining Burke full-time last year and gaining his apprentice licence this season.

He appeared to have an excellent chance of opening his account on just his fourth ride, with Tele Red the 6-4 favourite for the Solutions4Cleaning Handicap – and Lander duly delivered, steering the five-year-old to a three-and-a-quarter-length victory.

Burke said: “He’s only 16, he’s been calling in with us during the last three or four school holidays and joined us full-time during the middle of last year, so he was still 15 at that time.

“He did all his home-schooling on the computer and he’s a great lad who works hard and I’m sure he’ll have a future, probably in National Hunt in a couple of years’ time, but hopefully he’ll stick with us on the Flat for another year or two yet.

“His mum and dad are really nice people and they’re delighted. His mum was at Pontefract today, so it’s worked out great.”

Hollie Doyle enjoyed an excellent afternoon at Pontefract
Hollie Doyle enjoyed an excellent afternoon at Pontefract (Zac Goodwin/PA)

Elsewhere the day belonged to Hollie Doyle, who booted home a four-timer from her four rides on the card.

Doyle struck gold first with the Ed Dunlop-trained Look Back Smiling (10-1) in the Jayne – On Course Lady Bookmaker EBF Maiden Stakes. The pair had to survive a lengthy stewards’ enquiry, but were ultimately confirmed the winners by a head from Zaman Jemi.

The leading jockey doubled her tally aboard Jedd O’Keeffe’s 6-5 favourite Kincade in the tiesplanet.com – Ladies Love Guys In Ties Handicap and completed her hat-trick half an hour later, with Roger Fell’s Global Spirit obliging at 13-8 in the Riu Hotels And Resorts Ladies Day Veterans’ Handicap.

It was then the turn of Corinthia Knight – trained by Archie Watson, for whom Doyle will ride Bradsell in the Group One Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday – to seal a fine afternoon, scoring as the 9-4 favourite in the concluding Keith Hammill Memorial Handicap.

Doyle sits second in the race to be crowned this season’s champion jockey, one place ahead of her husband Tom Marquand but some way adrift of runaway leader William Buick.

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