3 minute read
Paul Mulrennan strikes in opening Racing League contest.
Saluti got Team Arena off to a flying start with victory in the opening race of the William Hill Racing League at Newcastle.
The six-race card is the first of six meetings which make up the inaugural running of the competition, with a total of 12 teams taking part and every race worth £50,000 in prize-money.
Each race is restricted to 12 runners, with 25 points awarded to the winner down to one point for the 10th-placed horse.
Saluti, trained by Paul Midgley, was a 15-2 chance in the hands of Paul Mulrennan and stuck on gamely for pressure to get the better of Faustus, who was running for the Newmarket Red team, by a length.
The Team Racehorse Lotto-owned Copinet was just half a length further back in third.
Mulrennan said of the winner, whose team represents Arena Racing Company: "He's not had too many tries on the all-weather and Paul just seems to have found the key to him lately – he's really turned a corner in the last few weeks.
"Everything went nicely for him. We got a nice tow along and we got the split at the right time – these colours must be lucky!"
Team eToro put top marks on the board in race two, as Strike Red (7-1) burst through at the half-furlong pole.
Paddy Mathers had to bide his time after missing the kick, but once getting the gap he needed the Richard Fahey-trained gelding quickly put matters to bed, beating Remulate Racing's Ivatheengine by three-quarters of a length. Musicality was third for Team talkSPORT.
Mathers said: "I've ridden this horse in the past and I knew I was drawn in stall two, which is not ideal here.
"The plan was to drop him out and ride him for luck. I probably dropped him out a bit too much, but I knew I had plenty of horse underneath me and going to the two pole, I was sitting and waiting for the gaps to open.
"He picked up really well and has gone to the line strong, so I'm looking forward to riding him next time.
"It's great to be part of Team eToro. The prize-money is fantastic and I'm really enjoying being involved."
After races over five and six furlongs, race three was seven-furlong affair and saw Laura Pearson shine on Hugo Palmer's Echo Beach for Goat Racing.
Like Mathers in the previous race, the star apprentice had to bide her time – but once she elected to switch to the stands rail her mount fairly flew, cutting down Marco Ghiani aboard Eagle Creek (Team Racehorse Lotto) to win going away.
Pearson said: "I got stuck in a little bit of traffic, but thankfully we switched around them and it worked out well.
"I think the Racing League is a great thing for the sport. Hopefully it will bring new characters to it.
"I think everything needs to be spiced up a little bit and that's what this is doing, so it's great."
Team talkSPORT claimed maximum points through Bonneval (13-8 favourite) in race four over a mile.
There was no pace on early, with the James Fanshawe-trained winner tracking them all for a long way under Jack Mitchell before picking up nicely and finishing full of running, holding Tenbury Wells of the Newmarket Red team.
