King for a day: happy families after Alison Clarke enjoys first winner

Family days are ten a penny on racecourses at this time of year but King Golan brought the phrase to life with victory at Market Rasen on Saturday.

King Golan, who reigned in the 3m handicap chase, was a first winner after many years of trying for jockey Alison Clarke, 31, who returned to be greeted in the winner's enclosure by her partner Kenny Johnson, the trainer, and her three children.

"It was a very good family day," said Johnson, a former successful jump jockey himself.

Watch Alison Clarke win on King Golan

"It was a day to remember. Alison had been trying to ride a winner since she was young. She started off at my place, she went over to Ireland and then came back to mine.

"Since she's been back with me she's been very close, she'd had about five seconds. And she rode very well at Market Rasen. She didn't panic when the other horse headed her, she kept in her rhythm and kept going all the way to the line."

King Golan's half-length success was particularly poignant as Johnson used to train the runner-up Our Uncle Pat, who started odds-on favourite to make a winning start for Olly Murphy.

"I knew he was a decent horse but didn't have the money to spend on his wind," Johnson said of his former inmate. "It was a real risk to take a chance of spending £2,500 on him."

The only downside to the day was an inquiry into the discovery of a respiratory supplement in the kitbag, though the stewards were satisfied that King Golan had received only normal food and water by mouth on the day of racing and allowed him to run.

"When we were galloping at Newcastle that was left in the bag," Johnson said. "It wasn't taken out. It's a natural supplement that you can get anywhere that's used when we gallop young horses."

Did you know you can bet via the Racing Post mobile app/website? Simply sign in with your favourite bookmaker via the Accounts button and then bet direct from our racecards.–