Irish raider Alphonse Le Grande storms to Vase victory
Tony Martin’s sister Cathy O’Leary saddled the winner.
Alphonse Le Grande finished with a flourish to ensure the Jenningsbet Festival Northumberland Vase went to Ireland for the second year in succession. While a consolation race for the more prestigious and valuable Northumberland Plate, with a total prize fund of GBP 75,000 up for grabs, the two-mile contest is a competitive event in its own right. Matthew Smith’s La Hacienda was victorious in last year’s renewal and 12 months on, Alphonse Le Grande was all the rage as the 3-1 favourite, as he looked to complete his hat-trick following spring triumphs at Dundalk and Chester for trainer Tony Martin.Emphatic!
Alphonse Le Grande chases down Show No Fear to land the Northumberland Vase for @HollieDoyle1 at @NewcastleRaces! pic.twitter.com/UYGPfYZki8 — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 29, 2024
With the County Meath handler currently serving a three-month suspension for breaking anti-doping rules, Alphonse Le Grande is now running under the name of his sister, Cathy O’Leary, and both were in attendance for his bid for big-race honours at Gosforth Park. Show No Fear took the 14-strong line-up along for much of the two-mile journey and briefly looked to have slipped the field with a couple of furlongs to run, but Hollie Doyle never panicked in behind on the market leader, who was well on top as he passed the post with a length and a quarter in hand. “He’s been working well and we’ve been very happy with him. He’s been doing everything right and it worked out well,” said O’Leary.
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