Leicester: Sevillano initiates 25/1 double for Sanders/Cundell
(by Will O'Hanlon of racingpost.co.uk)
PETER CUNDELL and Seb Sanders proved the hot combination as they joined forces to complete a double in excess of 25-1 with Sevillano and Taranaki. Sevillano produced the performance of the day as he ran right away with the six-furlong conditions event, winning by an eased-down ten lengths from Harry Up, while Taranaki confirmed the promise of a fourth at Kempton last weekend when landing the seven-furlong handicap.
Sanders, who has spent the winter in Dubai, was recording his first win of the season, and must have been impressed with the way the Cundell horse quickened away from his field in the final two furlongs.
"I had Sevillano 110 per cent fit today," said Cundell. "There aren't that many opportunities for a horse such as him, and I targeted this race specifically. We'll look for another conditions race, but I won't be in any hurry - it's a long season." Jamie Osborne, who starts the season with a yard of 90 horses, already has his team in good form and followed up a Wednesday double by saddling Berkhamsted to take the juvenile maiden under Darryll Holland.
"I've got 60 juveniles, and this is the first of them to win, though I did have a second with Persian Rock at Doncaster ," said Osborne.
"I've got quite a few ready to run, the colts being more forward than the fillies, but Berkhamsted already wants further than this five furlongs and I ran him today because he was ready and needed experience.
"I see a horse's first run as a continuation of their education," he added, "and most of mine will improve considerably from their first run to their second."
James Fanshawe opened his account for 2004 with Arresting, who took the mile-and-a-half maiden under Johnny Murtagh, beating Gran Dana. "It's always nice to get that first win under your belt," the trainer said.
Chris Wall also got off the mark for the year when saddling Jorobaden, whom he trains for The Storm Again Syndicate, to take the mile-and-a-quarter maiden under George Baker.
Ben Swarbrick has been earning some good reports this year, and the youngster certainly impressed trainer Stan Moore when he rode Stamford Blue to victory in the seller. "The first time I met the lad was in the paddock," said Moore , "but he followed instructions and looked very good."
The stewards were less impressed with Swarbrick's ride on fourth-placed Oh So Rosie in Taranaki's race, giving him two days for excessive use of the whip (April 12 and a further date to be notified to him).
Former champion jockey Kevin Darley notched only his second win of the year when partnering Swagger Stick - a half-brother to Dubai World Cup winner Pleasantly Perfect - to victory for John Dunlop in the mile-and-a-quarter handicap.
Star performance
Sevillano put some fair sprinters to the sword, taking the six-furlong conditions event by an eased-down ten lengths.