Intercessor: Cieren Fallon rides 200-1 shot to victory at Newbury
- Published
Horse racing resumed in Britain behind closed doors on 1 June after 76 days away
Jockey Cieren Fallon helped claim a slice of history at Newbury on Saturday as his mount Intercessor triumphed at odds of 200-1.
Fallon, the son of retired six-time champion rider Kieren, edged out the even-money favourite Naswaary by a head in the 4.10 novice race.
It is believed to be the joint longest-priced winner in British flat racing history.
The last 200-1 victor was Dandy Flame at Wolverhampton in July 2016.
Intercessor, trained by John Gallagher at his Moreton-in-Marsh stables, underwent a gelding operation after his only previous run when he finished sixth, 26 lengths behind the winner.
"Had there have been a bookie there I'd have probably had a little sneaky tenner each-way on him just because he was so big a price and I knew he'd been working well at home," Gallagher told BBC Gloucestershire.
"I know the owner had a little tickle each way, it's his horse, it's his baby - he bred it - so he was always going to back it, he'd have backed it if it was 500-1, so good for him because he's had a little bit more reward.
"Intercessor had every opportunity to curl up and let them all go past him, but he stuck his neck out when he got past [the rest] and ran on again - it was a good sign to see his will to win," Gallagher told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.
"He's got the size and scope to be a nice horse, what we've beaten we don't know - but we'll soon find out in due course, the favourite was obviously a nice horse."
"I've had a couple of 100-1 winners, but I can't remember ever seeing a 200-1 winner, so a bit different, but he didn't know."
The longest-priced winner in British racing history was Equinoctial, returned at a starting price of 250-1 when winning over hurdles at Kelso in November 1990.
Additional reporting by Paul Furley