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Horse Racing: Hanagan and Sands Of Mali land Champion Sprint shock
Sands Of Mali bounced back to form to cause a shock in the Champions Sprint at odds of 28/1 on QIPCO British Champions Day.
The Richard Fahey-trained three-year-old had been below par since finishing runner-up in the Commonwealth Cup at the Royal meeting but came right back to his best on a track he loves.
Fifth in the Haydock Sprint Cup last time, the three-year-old Panis colt made all the running under Paul Hanagan to fend off the late challenge of Harry Angel.
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Donjuan Triumphant was always prominent and stayed on well for third.
Sands Of Mali was allowed to bowl along in front and as Hanagan got him into a nice rhythm, he never looked like being caught in this soft ground.
It was a ray of sunshine in a difficult period in two-time champion Hanagan’s career, which had stalled after he landed a retainer with Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2012. He and spent four largely unsuccessful years in that role before heading back to the north and teaming back up with Fahey.
An emotional Hanagan said: “I enjoyed that one. I can never describe it, to ride a winner like this for the boss. He’s been with me from day one. To repay him like this is very special … he’s always been there.”
Fahey said: “I’ve always felt he is a Group One horse – but as you can see a couple of his runs have been very disappointing, and we don’t know why.
“Today he got the soft lead he needed, and from half way I was happy.
“We just got nailed at the Royal meeting, and he has gone pear-shaped from there.
“At home he has always worked like a Group One horse, but he has now proven he is. He has had a couple of other goes and come up short, but today was great.
“I don’t whether he just hurt himself a bit running on the quick ground at the Royal meeting. I thought he ran okay at Haydock, but today was where we thought he should be. It’s a good result for a small trainer up the north!”
