3 minute read

Apprentice Joe Leavy enjoyed the biggest success of his career to date when steering the 33/1 chance Talis Evolvere to victory in the BetMGM All-Weather Championships Mile Handicap at Newcastle.

The well-backed 3/1 favourite Dear My Friend raced keenly in his bid to defy a mark of 113 and remain unbeaten on the all-weather, but the distress signals quickly began to show. Fanning allowed him to stride on with three furlongs to travel but he stopped quickly once headed and it soon became apparent that the Newcastle finale lay between Talis Evolvere and recent Lincoln Trial winner Kingdom Come.

Kingdom Come struck the front from Talis Evolvere entering the final furlong but could never quite put the race to bed and galvanised under young apprentice Joe Leavy, Richard Hannon's 33/1 chance, who was always close the pace throughout the mile contest, wrestled back the initiative close home, going on to land the spoils by a short-head.

The Roger Varian-trained Fantastic Fox kept on finishing in third but was no match for the front pair.

"He was very game. He only lengthens, he won't quicken," said Leavy, who was enjoying the biggest success of his short career to date.

The 18-year-old added: "We had an easy lead for the first quarter of the race and he settled very nicely into a rhythm.

"As I knew he'd get further, I didn't want to be too far away, and he picked up really nicely. Rossa (Ryan, on Kingdom Come) came to win his race, but he's obviously very game.

"He gave me the feeling in the final half-furlong that I was always going to get there, he really tries hard.

"He scoped a bit dirty after his last run, but they'd freshened him up at home and bringing him here was almost a prep for the Spring Cup at Newbury.

"Winning here on Finals Day for the boss is massive, hopefully, things keep snowballing."