Quinlan gains little consolation after Sedgefield favourite woe

Sean Quinlan suffered mixed fortunes at Sedgefield on Thursday, with the rider registering a winner after being dramatically unseated in the opening event.

While Blue Hawaii made no mistakes in the JTC Pizzalicious Handicap Chase, it was a different story with Telhimlisten in the Follows Us @vickers.Bet Novices’ Handicap Chase.

The Jennie Candlish-trained runner was sent off the 2-9 favourite for the two-runner event and victory looked a formality as Quinlan’s mount was well clear approaching the final obstacle in the two-mile-one-furlong affair.

However, despite jumping the final fence with no issue, the horse edged left running away from the fence, with Quinlan caught off balance and being unseated out of the side door.

That left Grey Skies to come home alone as a 100-30 winner, much to Quinlan’s dismay.

He told Sky Sports Racing: “I’ve had a winner but that won’t make up for what happened in the first.

“He’s gone to pop it and for some reason two strides after he’s jinked left. He got in tight and I was quite happy with the way he jumped it, but I was just going forward to get him away from the fence and as I’ve gone forward, he’s gone left and my balance has gone.”