Wood fells Chipchase rivals

Knot In Wood appreciated the rain-softened ground to take the freebets.co.uk Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle.The 7-1 shot was giving trainer Richard Fahey and jockey Paul Hanagan back-to-back victories in this Group Three after Utmost Respect struck 12 months ago.Knot In Wood took the field along with Pusey Street Lady, getting the better of that rival a furlong from home, and although Godolphin's Ancien Regime made late progress under Jamie Spencer, he was a length and a quarter behind the winner at the line.Hanagan said: "This horse has been great over the years and for him to take a Group Three is brilliant. It's dried out a bit and is tacky ground. I walked the course earlier and told the boss the best ground was probably in the middle."Knot In Wood will now be aimed at a clutch of big summer sprints, including the Scottish Stewards' Cup at Hamilton in July - a race he has won for the last two years.Fahey said: "He got the run of the race and he loves the soft ground. He looked as if he was the only horse to really act on it, so I hope the handicapper doesn't overdo it with him."He's not really a Group Three horse but, on this ground, he's got away with it. He's won over £200,000 and has been a legend of a horse."He's in the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood and the Ayr Gold Cup, so we'll be definitely looking at those. We'd also like to win the Scottish Stewards' Cup at Hamilton again."