Alnwick specialist Gina enjoys double success

GINA Andrews enhanced an already impressive strike rate at Alnwick with a double on debutants Azlad and The Dog Thief at the Ratcheugh Racing Club fixture on Saturday.

- By PETER BURGON

Given a positive ride in the 2m4f Newton Hall Maiden Race, Azlad dictated from the outset and, after being briefly headed five out and four out by Claramount (Amy Milburn), was back in front as they turned for home.

Despite not being too fluent at the last, the four-year-old stayed on strongly to beat the rallying Jack Wooley (Thomas Easterby) by three lengths, with Claramount a further half-length away in third.

This was Gina's 431st career winner on a landmark 1500th Pointing ride in the UK. She has also ridden two Pointing winners in Ireland and 99 winners under Rules.

She said: “He's a big, raw individual and as green a debutant as I’ve ridden for a long time, but he went through the race really nicely and quickened up well”

The Dog Thief turned in a professional display in a winning debut in the 3m PJR Blewitt Ltd Maiden Race.

Always going well and never too far behind pace-setting Phantoms Cave (Huw Edwards) in a strongly run affair, the five-year-old was up with the leader three out before taking it up and he crossed the line six lengths ahead of Phantoms Cave, with Where's Willy (Nick Orpwood) a promising third on his first start for nine months.