Bannixtown glory for Bass and McCain at Kempton

Graham Clark
November 23, 2020 5:38 pm

‘She deserved that win, as she is as tough as nails’.

David Bass continued his recent good run in the saddle after Bannixtown Glory completed his second double in the space of three days with victory at Kempton.

The 32-year-old again demonstrated he is riding at the top of his game with an enterprising front-running victory aboard the Donald McCain-trained 12-1 chance in the Listed Racing TV Mares’ Hurdle.

Despite facing a host of challengers late on in the extended three-mile prize, the six-year-old rallied gamely under Bass before defeating recent Hereford scorer Getaway Totherock by a length and three-quarters.

McCain – who won the race in 2009 with the smart Whiteoak – said: “There were plenty of question marks over a lot of them regarding the trip, but one thing you can rely on with her is that she turns up every time and the ground and trip were fine.

“We were hoping to get a little bit of black type and between the last two I thought we would be hard done by if she didn’t get it, but she got more than we hoped for and is set for life.

“I would imagine Charlotte (McCracken) will breed from her and that makes a big difference to her CV. She deserved that win, as she is as tough as nails.”

Kim Bailey equalled last season’s total of 32 winners after Ajero (10-11) – who is a half-brother to the yard’s Grade Two winner Charbel – got the ball rolling for Bass when getting the better of Captain Morgs by a length in the EBF Stallions “National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Bass said: “I was absolutely delighted with that. He relaxed lovely in front and his jumping was at its best over the last two when they were going quick. He picked up really well down the straight. Although he hung right it was nowhere near as bad as Ludlow.

“He is not as big as Charbel as he is a bit more compact. He is by a sire (Red Clubs) that is all about speed. It is nice to have a proper two-miler in the yard.”

Few people will have left the track as happy as Zac Baker who not only celebrated his first winner of the season, but reduced his claim from five to three pounds with a front-running success aboard Supakalanistic (14-1) in the Wise Betting At racingtv.com Handicap Hurdle.

Baker said: “That’s my 5lb claim gone. I’d been stuck on 39 winners since March. I’m delighted to do it on this horse though as I’ve had three wins on him now.

“Thanks to the owners and Nigel Twiston-Davies for putting him on me. When he goes out again hopefully I might get the call up.

“He is a lovely little horse. He has got a really good gallop and really good stride so I thought I might as well send him on.”

Fergus Gillard was another to enjoy a milestone winner when riding out his 7lb claim on the Alexandra Dunn-trained Thahab Ifraj in the conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle, which the 8-1 shot claimed by a length and three-quarters.

Gillard – who enjoyed a big-race win with Main Fact at Haydock on Saturday – said: “I’m delighted to get down to 5lb and long may it last. Thanks go to David Pipe and my dad (Mark Gillard) as they have been my biggest supporters.

“He won well today off a very light weight which was a big help against the second horse who was carrying top-weight.”