Racing: Banks cash returned by Yaakum

LAST-GASP winners are often said to have arrived late, but few will be as tardy as Yaakum and Ima Red Neck, both of whom visited the winners' enclosure yesterday several days after they were supposed to.

Yaakum was heavily backed at Warwick on Friday, dropping from 14-1 to 4-1, but trailed in seventh of the 10 runners. As a result, Jack Banks's gelding attracted little market interest at Southwell yesterday, starting at 14-1, but the combination of a step up in trip, a first-time visor and Lanfrano Dettori's assistance in the saddle transformed him. Always going well, Yaakum was pushed out in the final furlong for a comfortable success.

'We had our knickers on him at Warwick, but I gave the wrong orders by making the running,' Banks said afterwards. 'We just got our losses back here.'

Ima Red Neck prompted many bookmakers to raise their eyebrows when he was backed like a certainty at Nottingham last Thursday, starting at 4-6 after an early offer of 10-1. He finished only fourth there, but again the fitting of a visor made all the difference. After drifting badly in the betting, he came home a length and a half ahead of Persian Soldier in the closing handicap.

One runner had read his script, however. Carapelle was the only runner in the seller to attract any sustained support, and after being backed from 9-2 to 9-4 favourite, Peter Easterby's juvenile duly cantered away to win by 10 lengths.