1000th winner for Smith in Silver Cup Sue Smith saddled the 1000th winner of her career as Wakanda ran out a game winner of the Sodexo Silver Cup at Ascot. The improving six-year-old was followed up victories at Wetherby and in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle. There were half a dozen horses still in contention in the prestigious three mile handicap and it appeared as though the front-runner was going to be swallowed up by the chasing pack. Fingal Bay threw down a strong challenge between the final two obstacles while favourite Pendra loomed large on the outside. However, that pair had cried enough by the time they had jumped the last and it was left to Virak to chase home the 8/1 winner with Fingal Bay back in third. The Young Master was doing all of his best work in the closing stages under Sam Waley-Cohen and finished fourth. Smith said: "We are delighted with him. The horse has improved so much. He is a very economical jumper and him and Danny Cook are like coffee and cream. "He is a very tough, game little horse. He is going to have a break now as he as run three times and won three times. "He will probably come back in February time but there is nothing mapped out for him. He does need soft ground, though."
