William Haggas heaped praise on jockey Danny Tudhope after seeing Lattam come out on top in a thrilling four-way finish to the feature event on day one of the Northumberland Plate Festival at Newcastle.
Following earlier victories aboard George Boughey’s Chic Colombine (2-5 favourite) and the Archie Watson-trained Ambushed (15-2), Tudhope was out to complete a Gosforth Park treble on Lattam in the Jenningsbet In Kippax Seaton Delaval Handicap.
On the strength of a runner-up finish to subsequent Royal Hunt Cup hero Jimi Hendrix in the Spring Cup at Newbury in April, Lattam was the 9-4 market leader to claim the lion’s share of the total prize fund of £35,000 – but made his supporters sweat before eventually picking up their winnings.
With title-chasing Joe Fanning setting slow fractions in front aboard Spirit Catcher, the Haggas-trained favourite was stuck wide from his starting berth of stall one and had plenty of ground to make up when Fanning started to raise the tempo.
He managed to get on terms as the post loomed, but so did Alrehb, while Symbol Of Light also joined the party late on to ensure a quartet of runners passed the line almost as one.
But following a brief wait, the judge confirmed Lattam had beaten Spirit Catcher by a nose, with Alrehb just a short head further away in third and Symbol Of Light a head behind him in fourth.
Haggas said: “It was a tight race and I’m glad to get the best of it really.
“It was a triumph for the handicapper. They don’t always get it right, but they got that one right!
“I thought he was given an excellent ride because that was a mess. They went no gallop and he needs a better pace than that, but he did very well to win I thought, from that draw.
“He just needs things to go his way and they did, but he’s a nice horse and it was a good prize.”
Lattam holds an entry in the Golden Mile at Goodwood. When asked if that lucrative prize was a possible next port of call, Haggas added: “He’ll go anywhere the ground is soft.”
Tudhope made it a four-timer aboard the Ed Bethell-trained Powerful Response (11-2) in the JenningsBet In Goole Handicap.
