Winning three races in a row and winning those races with horses at attractive odds is something that a jockey does not do often. Paul Hanaghan was riding at Warwick’s (England) afternoon meeting on Tuesday. Fuaigh Mor, trained by A Bailey was Hanagan’s first winner at 4-1. In the next race, Aspen Darlin, at 15-2, gave trainer Bailey and jockey Hanaghan their second winner of the day. Hanaghan went on to win the following event with Judge ’N Jury, a 12-1 chance, trained by R A Harris. It was a 552-1 treble. Jockey Hanaghan had a winner on Wednesday at Beverley. He is a hot commodity.

Jimmy Fortune rode in India. I do not recollect the timeframe. Fortune was the champion rider at Royal Ascot last year. On Wednesday at Newmarket’s Craven meeting, Jimmy Fortune struck gold. It was a four-bagger for Jimmy Fortune and the winners came from John Gosden’s yard. Pampas Cat, dismissed at 20-1, was the first winner. The second winner was Infallible in the featured Neil Gwyn Stakes. The Pivotal filly was held up and asked to move with 400 metres to go. She flew past her rivals to win by three and one half lengths. Coral, the British bookmaking company, cut Infallible’s odds to 3-1 for the 1000 Guineas. Muthabara and Natagora are in the 1000 Guineas field.

The third winner for the Gosden-Fortune team was the 11-10 favourite, Virtual. Prohibit, at 8-1, was the fourth winner. It would be an understatement to say that Gosden and Fortune dominated the card. They were on fire.

Trainer Gosden said, “She (Infallible) is a nice filly. We took our time with her last year and she came out to win here at the last meeting. The 1000 Guineas is a possibility and we have to be damn good to beat Natagora.”

On Thursday at Newmarket, Gosden sends out Raven’s Pass in the Craven Stakes. A colt by Elusive Quality, Raven’s Pass won three in a row last year and ended the freshman campaign with a third place finish behind the formidable New Approach in the Dewhurst Stakes. Jimmy Fortune rides Raven’s Pass who is the 5-4 choice. Twelve run.

The Grade II Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on Saturday is the final Derby prep. The Coolmore Stakes is the last race with enough purse money to help three year-olds leapfrog their way into the Derby line-up. Eleven sophomores will go postward in the 1700-metre race on the polytrack.

Atoned, second in the Tampa Bay Derby and fourth subsequently in the Illinois Derby, will go. Salute The Sarge, San Miguel winner, will take his chances. Tomcito, third in the Florida Derby, will be there. Big Glen, Rushaway winner, is in the field.

Edgar Prado rode Tale of Ekati to victory in the Wood Memorial. He was astride Monba in the Blue Grass. Adriano was ridden by Prado when scoring in Turfway’s Lane’s End Futurity. Prado exercised Adriano at Churchill early this week and was thrilled. He chose Adriano as his mount in the Kentucky Derby. Graham Motion, Adriano’s trainer, was delighted. “It was a tough decision and it obviously makes me feel good. When Edgar won the Lane’s End, we talked about his taking Adriano in the Derby. Then he wins two Grade I races. It was that piece of work at Churchill that he was so pleased with that convinced him.”

Monba will have the services of Ramon Dominguez. Adriano was ridden by Dominguez in the first four starts. Jockey Dominguez will be aboard Monba for the first time.

Rene Douglas will partner Bill Mott’s Z Humor. It has been reported that Garrett Gomez will ride Court Vision.

Proviso, a promising freshman filly trained by Andre Fabre, is getting ready for her 2008 reappearance. In her final 2007 start, Proviso, a Dansili filly, was beaten by Listen after a trouble-filled journey in Ascot’s fillies’ mile in late September. Listen was ridden by John Murtagh and is one of Aidan O’Brien’s better Classic prospects. There was crowding soon after the start and Proviso suffered the most. I was at Ascot and I was surprised that an inquiry was not ordered.

Teddy Grimthorpe, Racing Manager for Prince Khalid Abdullah who owns Proviso, stated, “She is in great nick and coming along very well. She will go in the Grade III (1800 metres) Prix Vanteaux at Longchamp on April 27. We will then decide where to go next. There are some tough fillies we will have to go against.”

Courtesy: NTRA, Racing Post and other sources