Elsworth salutes Keniry double.

Byline: By Robert Pratt 

Apprentice Liam Keniry earned the plaudits from David Elsworth with a double for the Whitsbury-based trainer on Spanish Don and Nota Bene at Newmarket yesterday.

Keniry's winners ( his first double on the Rowley Mile course ( were the second and third legs of a 139-1 treble for Elsworth.

Keniry and Spanish Don teamed up to spring a 100-1 shock in the Cambridgeshire at the beginning of the month.

They came late to lead right on the line that day, but it was a different story in the James Seymour Stakes as Keniry, who was unable to claim his 3lb, gave Spanish Don an enterprising ride, sending him to the front with well over seven of the 10 furlongs left to go.

The 4-1 chance responded to his rider's urgings to hold off Menokee by three-quarters of a length.

"It was important that Liam got a chance to show his confidence against his elders," said Elsworth.

"There are a lot of lads out there that keep the show on the road and Liam is one of them. I told him if they didn't go a gallop he had to make the running and there was nothing wrong with what he did there." He added: "You never know, he might get a trip to Hong Kong", referring to the Cathay Pacific International meeting in December, for which he is hoping Spanish Don gets an invitation.

"This horse might go up a few pounds and it would be a wonderful thing if he went to Hong Kong for the invitation race over a mile and a quarter or even a mile and a half, because his half-owner, Gordon Li, lives there.

"I doubt he'd get in, but if he went there he'd be the one they all had to beat."