JOHAN put one in the back of the net for former football ace and now trainer Mick Channon when landing the SBK Lincoln on the opening day of the turf Flat season at Doncaster.
Partnered by Silvestre de Sousa, the 28-1 shot proved strong for Saleymm, with Rogue Bear back in third place.
It was a first Lincoln celebration for De Sousa and Channon, whose son and assistant Jack thanked the winner’s former trainer William Haggas for suggesting to owners Jon and Julia Aisbitt that the horse needed a change of scenery.
Haggas, attempting to win the race for a record fifth time, was responsible for the unplaced 3-1 favourite Mujtaba.
The victory was a timely advertisement for De Sousa’s capabilities as he now rides as a freelance after leaving his lucrative retainer with King Power Racing.
Richard Hannon made the perfect start to the new
Flat season when completing a double at the Town Moor with Persian Force and Chindit, both ridden by Rossa Ryan, who was
also successful with Arthur’s Realm for Ed Dunlop.
It is early days to be flagging up a Royal Ascot runner but Persian Force put his name down for the meeting after blasting home in the SBK Brocklesby Stakes.
The colt certainly justified his purchase price of €225,000 when the even-money favourite came home on a tight rein.
Tony Gorman, representing Hannon, said: “You’ve got to be thinking about Royal Ascot.
“Rossa said there’s a lot more underneath that we haven’t even found yet.”
It is also worth remembering that
last year’s Brocklesby winner Chipotle went on to take the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Ryan added: “He’s going to improve. I hope we’ve only scraped the surface of what’s underneath the bonnet yet.
“He has got bundles of speed and he is going to be nice.”
A crack at the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury is now on the cards for Chindit after he returned to winning form in the SBK Doncaster Mile.
“I think he wants fast ground,” said Ryan. “It’s really gluey out there and he hated it.
“If he comes forward again, hopefully a big one can fall his way.”
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