Sodexho Silver Cup |
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| Listed Handicap Chase, Ascot 15:00 £100,000 added, 4yo plus, 3m, Class 1  |
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| Saturday 19th December 2015 | |
1 Wakanda 8/1
2 Virak 14/1
3 Fingal Bay 6/1
NR: Seefood (IRE)
13 ran Distances: 1l, ¾l, 1½l
TIME 6m 7.70s (slow by 24.70s)
Gritty Wakanda grinds out Silver Cup success
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Sue Smith celebrated her 1,000th winner as a trainer after Wakanda completed a hat-trick in the Sodexo Silver Cup at Ascot.
The improving six-year-old followed up victories at Wetherby and in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle with another hard-fought success in the three-mile Listed prize.
Having been at the head of affairs from flag-fall, the 8-1 chance looked set to be swallowed up by a host of rivals on the run down to the penultimate fence.
Not one for relenting, Wakanda continued to find extra in reserves to hold off the fast-finishing Virak by a length, with Hennessy fourth Fingal Bay a further three-quarters of a length away in third.
Smith said: "We are delighted with him.
"The horse has improved so much. He is a very economical jumper and him and Danny Cook are like coffee and cream.
"He is a very tough, game little horse. He is going to have a break now as he as run three times and won three times.
"He will probably come back in February time but there is nothing mapped out for him.
"He does need soft ground, though."
Sodexo Silver Cup Handicap Chase (Listed)
£100,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 7f 180y, Class 1
13 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Soft in places
| Pos | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Wakanda (IRE) 8/1 | Danny Cook 11-5 |
Mrs S J Smith | 6 | |
| 2nd | 1 | Virak (FR) 14/1 | Harry Cobden (7) 11-12 |
P F Nicholls | 6 |
| 3rd | ¾ | Fingal Bay (IRE) 6/1 | R Johnson 10-10 |
P J Hobbs | 9 |
| 4th | 1½ | The Young Master 8/1 | Mr S Waley-Cohen (3) 11-4 |
N P Mulholland | 6 |
| 5th | 7 | Pendra (IRE) 9/2f | B J Geraghty 11-1 |
C E Longsdon | 7 |
| 6th | 2¾ | Salubrious (IRE) 13/2 | Sam Twiston-Davies 11-2 |
P F Nicholls | 8 |
| 7th | 5 | Gullinbursti (IRE) 14/1 | L P Aspell 10-5 |
Miss E C Lavelle | 9 |
| 8th | ½ | Houblon Des Obeaux (FR) 8/1 | Charlie Deutsch (5) 11-4 |
Miss V Williams | 8 |
| 9th | 2 | The Giant Bolster 16/1 | T Scudamore 11-3 |
D G Bridgwater | 10 |
| 10th | 11 | Ma Filleule (FR) 16/1 | Nico de Boinville 11-11 |
N J Henderson | 7 |
| 11th | 1 | Fox Appeal (IRE) 14/1 | Sean Bowen 11-6 |
Miss E C Lavelle | 8 |
| 12th | 8 | Unioniste (FR) 20/1 | Nick Scholfield 11-9 |
P F Nicholls | 7 |
| PU | Katenko (FR) 20/1 | Aidan Coleman 11-1 |
Miss V Williams | 9 | |
| NR | Seefood (IRE) 20/1 | W Kennedy 10-6 |
Dr R D P Newland | 8 |
