Bear plan pays off for Fahey

Lady Bear fulfilled Richard Fahey`s promise by landing a touch in the randombet.com Spring Mile at Doncaster today.

The English trainer told owner Arthur Campbell fully five months ago that the mare would win the Stg£25,000-added consolation race for horses denied a run in the Lincoln.

And the 10-1 shot lived up to Fahey`s words in fine style in the biggest betting race of the day.

Blinkered for the first time, she cruised up to lead well over a furlong out under apprentice Paul Hanagan and came home a comfortable three-length winner from Champagne Rider, with dual Lincoln-placed King Priam just beating Millennium Force for third.

'I told the owner we would win this race five months ago - I hope he had plenty on!' beamed Malton-based Fahey.

'We picked this race out at the back-end of last year.

'We kept her running on the all-weather for it and she was very fit and today was the day. We knew she had no chance of getting in the Lincoln so I said I would win the Spring Mile.

'She has probably won a bit too far - but we won`t complain about that! This was her Derby, Guineas whatever you want to call it. I am delighted.'

Fahey now hopes the handicapper will not overreact before his mudlark`s bid for a follow-up in next month`s Newbury Spring Cup.

The race offered conflicting clues on the effect of the draw in tomorrow`s Lincoln, as the first two came from stalls one and three respectively but finished in the middle of the track as the far-side group drifted over towards the stands` side during the race.

But Fahey stressed: 'I think you need a low draw in the Lincoln - I don`t know why they came over.'

However, James Given felt a high draw had helped Tom Tun make it third time lucky in the earlier Town Moor Handicap.

His 5-1 favourite, third in the six-furlong contest in 2000 and second last year, swooped late under Dean McKeown in a finish dominated by stands-side runners, scoring by a length and three quarters from Chispa, withRudik another head away in third.

Given said: 'He is a happy horse and he did that quite nicely. But he did have a favoured draw - I think that draw is quite significant.'

Darryll Holland misses Lincoln day due to suspension and there was little cheer for him this afternoon.

He started off by suffering a heavy defeat on 4-7 shot Storm Seeker, who trailed in a well-beaten third behind Murray in the Maltby Maiden Stakes.

And the rider then found all kinds of trouble in running on 11-4 favourite Positive Profile in the orderit-online.com Handicap and failed by a neck to catch Miracle Island.