Hugo Palmer hits landmark 500 winners with first runner from Manor House base

Friday: Leicester

Hugo Palmer made a flying start to a new venture in his training career as he struck with the first horse sent out from his new base at Manor House Stables, securing a 500th career winner in the process.

Noman in the 1m4f handicap was Palmer’s first runner in Britain since March 16 as the trainer, who operated from Newmarket for more than a decade, undertook a major upheaval of horses to the Michael Owen-owned facility 170-miles away.

Speaking to Racing TV after James Doyle steered the four-year-old to success, Palmer said: "Both the team I’ve taken up with me from Newmarket and the team we’ve met up there in Cheshire, my God they’ve worked hard. They’ve done the most phenomenal job to merge two teams of horses and two teams of staff.

"We’re constantly recruiting more people and it just feels like we’re beginning to get into a rhythm now. We’re just coming to the end of week three and I have to say I’m loving it.

"The first runner winning like that must just settle a few nerves anyway. I’d love to say that I planned that the first winner from Manor House would be the 500th, but I was trying to get the 500th before we left Newmarket but we failed."

Sly strikes

Pam Sly also enjoyed a superb start to the turf season as she saddled a 228-1 double with her first runners on the Flat in 2022.

Dark Spec followed up a win at Pontefract in October to justify favouritism in the mile handicap, before the double was completed via a more unexpected source as Astral Beau made a winning 50-1 debut to complete a perfect afternoon for the dual-purpose trainer and jockey Shane Kelly.

Brocklesby boost

The Robyn Brisland-trained Jiffy Boy got off the mark at the second time of asking, following up his debut third in the Brocklesby at Doncaster last Saturday with victory in the 5f novice under David Probert.

Brocklesby fifth Evolicatt was second to give Persian Force's victory an early season form boost.

Results, replays and analysis

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