Fahey bags another Bunbury Cup

Rene Mathis gave Richard Fahey back-to-back victories in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket when coming with a late surge to lift the big seven-furlong handicap.

Paul Hanagan, riding for his former boss, got a tremendous run out of the five-year-old in the final furlong after Related had set a blistering pace.

Rene Mathis (16-1) stuck his neck out to score by a length from One Word More (16-1). Heaven's Guest (11-1), who lifted the prize for Fahey 12 months ago, was a head away in third. Related (14-1) was fourth.

Fahey, who was winning this race for a third time, was completing a big-race double after the success of Birchwood in the Superlative Stakes.

He said: "When you have two winners at this meeting it's fantastic. Two in a row is great and we've had a winner at Chester. I'm enjoying it.

"Marwan (Koukash) has been very lucky in this race. He won it with Brae Hill (in 2011).

"We've won it three times now and it's been a fantastic race to be involved in.

"I was told to buy the horse at the horses in training sale and got him for £10,000. Then he had chips in his bones but we got them sorted. Since then he's been great and he seems to love this track.

"Seven furlongs on a good track is ideal for him, but he would win over six on slower ground.

"I'll speak to Marwan as to where we go next. It was great to have Paul Hanagan back on board.

"He's in the International at Ascot but quick ground there is a lot different to quick ground here."

Hanagan said: "I had trouble pulling him up. He wasn't doing a whole lot in front. They went quick and he had something to aim at."

On Heaven's Guest, Fahey said: "I just thought the ground was quick enough for him to be at his perfect best. With Heaven's Guest he does what it says on the tin - he tries hard."

Owner Martin McLeod said of the Tim Easterby-trained One Word More: "We are very pleased, but he is crying out for a mile, there are no two ways about it. Now that he is a five-year-old, he is definitely looking for a mile.

"He is entered in a couple of good mile races at Goodwood and Ascot. The target is York, of course, being from a Yorkshire yard."

Trainer David Simcock said of Related: "Brilliant, he could go anywhere, six or seven furlongs, a stiff seven would suit. The run today is up there with the Wokingham run. He is in the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood."