Racing: Darley delighted with his Pontefract treble

KEVIN DARLEY rode a 45-1 treble, taking his score to 52, at Pontefract yesterday. He won on Buy Or Sell, Nigel's Lad and Sarafan and said afterwards: "It is unbelievable. That is 41 winners since 17 May when Terry Norman took over as my agent. I don't think I have had nine winners in three days before, but this is not my fastest 50 - that was in 1994 when I reached a century in the first week of August and ended up with my best score to date of 154."

Buy Or Sell had only half a length to spare in the opening race but it was a comfortable success and his trainer, Tim Easterby, said: "The horse is owned by the Sporting Index Racing Club, which is run by Wally Pyrah. It is their first horse and he was bought at Doncaster by David Minton."

Nigel's Lad ran away with the Tony Bethell Memorial Handicap to take his career win total to 19 - 12 on the flat, seven over hurdles. Pat Haslam, his trainer, said: "He won this race two years ago and will now run at either Haydock on Friday or Sandown on Saturday."

Sarafan duly made light of what had looked a straightforward task when easily accounting for his three rivals in the Spindrifter Stakes.

Bay of Bengal gave the apprentice Alan Daly his first winner on the course in the Smeaton Selling Handicap, after which John Wainwright retained the filly with a bid of 5,000 guineas. The popular Daly said: "It's great to ride a winner on the course. I usually get suspended when I come up here."

The champion jockey Kieren Fallon missed the ride on the unplaced Bayard Lady in the seller because his flight from Ireland was delayed, but he made the trip pay off when Ed Dunlop's Ipledgeallegiance took the Prince of Wales Hospice Maiden Stakes by one-and-a-quarter lengths.