Newcastle review By Tattenham

TRAINER Michael Dods bagged a memorable double for the yard’s most successful owner at Newcastle yesterday.

Dods, who trains at Denton, near Darlington, scored with promising two-year-old Kaptain Kirkup in the second race on the card, and doubled up half an hour later with The Osteopath.

Both horses are owned by Kevin Kirkup, who runs an osteopathic business at Birtley.

The owner went close with Osteopathic Remedy at Redcar on Saturday.

Kaptain Kirkup is expected to go on to better things having made it two wins from two starts under Phillip Makin in the tradersbettingexchange.co.uk Novice Stakes.

The 9-4 favourite travelled sweetly from the outset and, asked to quicken approaching the final furlong, he soon collared Ailsa Carmel to score by one and three-quarter lengths.

Dods said: “It’s beautiful ground but if it had been any faster we would not have run him.

“We wanted to see if he went on good ground and he has so that gives us more options.

“If he hadn’t (handled the ground), we would have had to wait for some soft.

“Looking towards the back end, there is the Redcar Two- Year-Old Trophy at Redcar where they will get some soft ground.”

Dods, Makin and Kirkup completed a near 35-1 double when The Osteopath (10-1) came out best in the Seaton Delaval Handicap.

Dods added: “Neither him nor Kaptain Kirkup would want it any firmer. The Osteopath keeps shocking me with the improvement he is making at his age and I think he deserves a chance in a better race.”

Meanwhile, Lady Jane Digby was rewarded for a number of fine efforts in defeat when running away with the European Breeders’ Fund Hoppings Stakes.

Mark Johnston’s filly has only once finished out of the first three in eight starts this year, getting her head in front twice at Lingfield.

Sent off at 2-1 to secure her first success at Listed level, the daughter of Oasis Dream travelled powerfully throughout the early exchanges before passing the post a comfortable five lengths ahead of Syvilla.

Karl Burke had to shelve plans to run Silenceofthewind (13-8 favourite) at Royal Ascot due to a qualification issue, but he gained some compensation with victory in the Coopers Marquees Median Auction Maiden Stakes.