MICHAEL Dods fulfilled a long-held ambition by training his first winner at York yesterday, courtesy of Doctor One.
Running in the colours of Darlington-based Pools winner Graham Spencer, the unfancied 100-1 shot Doctor One stayed on doggedly to beat his 18 rivals in the one-mile Parsonage Hotel Maiden Auction Stakes, denying the 11-4 favourite Florida Heart by half a length.
"I've always wanted to train a winner at York, although I didn't think it would be today!"said a jubilant Dods, who is based at Denton, near Darlington.
"Doctor One is a lovely big horse and is going to make a smashing middle-distance three-year-old."
Lucky owner Spencer worked for The Northern Echo as a printer before his Pools win in 1994. He only had £2 each-way on his horse which paid 123-1 on the Tote.
Dods is also to receive compensation after the Jockey Club agreed to pay the expenses he incurred when he sent Flying Tackle to Hamilton only to withdraw him from his race.
Flying Tackle had been deemed to have dead-heated with William's Well in a race at Newcastle, but racecourse judge Tim MacDowel reviewed his verdict and announced four days later that William's Well had won outright.
However, the decision was revealed only hours before Flying Tackle was due to run at Hamilton under a 6lb penalty, and consequently Dods withdrew the horse shortly before the race.
Dods, who decided to seek compensation for the unnecessary trip to Scotland, said: ''We sent them a bill for £270 to cover the travel costs and the pay for two staff, but I have had a call from them and they said they are going to pay us £300.
''I withdrew him because he would have run under a penalty which he hadn't earned.''
Meanwhile, Naheef has proved one of the more frustrating members of the Godolphin academy but he landed the sportingoptions. co.uk (Betting Exchange) Strensall Stakes.
The addition of a visor and tongue strap had looked the final throw of the dice for the Marju colt and they worked, but whether that would have been the case had Frankie Dettori not gone for home as early as three furlongs out is questionable.
After taking up the running from long-time leader Bourgainville the partnership never saw another rival, although Naheef's shortening stride as the post loomed resulted in Eventuail getting within a head of the winner, with Akshar in third.
''He needed that,'' said winning trainer Saeed bin Suroor. ''I'm pleased the visor worked first time.''
Dettori said: ''I went on because I knew he stayed, so I thought 'let them catch me'.''
Kieren Fallon again took the riding honours with a 9-1 double.
The champion got off the mark when booting home Sporting Gesture in the Patrington Haven Leisure Park Handicap and followed up on odds-on Secretary General in the EBF Prince Of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire Maiden Stakes. Sporting Gesture returned to the scene of an earlier success this season to land the 12-furlong event for Mick Easterby, who admitted he had doubts about the chances of the Safawan gelding.
However, Fallon produced his mount with a decisive run at the furlong pole before denying long-time leader Jeepstar by a length-and-a-half.
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