Cup of joy as Quinn strikes Redcar Gold

VETERAN trainer John Quinn ticked off one of his remaining training ambitions by winning Redcar’s most historic race, The Racing TV Zetland Gold Cup, with Liberty Coach.

- By PETER BARRON

After the four-year-old had beaten Ed Bethell’s See That Storm by a nose on the 75th anniversary of the race, the Malton trainer revealed the Zetland Gold Cup and the Thirsk Hunt Cup were two races he wanted to win.

“I finally won the Thirsk Hunt Cup (with Titan Rock) last year and it’s taken me 30 years to win the Zetland Gold Cup,” said John, who trains with son Sean.

Liberty Coach, enterprisingly ridden by Jason Hart, denied See That Storm a fifth consecutive victory since joining Bethell, with Callum Rodriguez only just failing to get up on the line.

Quinn added: “Jason gave the horse a really good ride. A lot of people were trying to buy him last year, but these are the kind of horses you want to keep.”

Hart said: “I thought I'd been chinned on the line, but it’s gone our way. Once he gets into a rhythm, he’s hard to pass.” The victory sealed a fairytale couple of days for Newcastle United season ticket-holder Hugh Hurst, who owns Liberty Coaches in Northumberland.