Paul Hanagan had a welcome change of fortune when the Richard Fahey-trained Green Park came out best in a thrilling finish to the £30,000 Northern Rock Gosforth Cup at Newcastle last night. The highly-rated jockey had been due to partner Fahey's Fonthill Road but the Ayr Gold Cup winner was withdrawn, so Hanagan replaced Joe Fanning on Green Park. Mecca's Mate swept into the lead approaching the final furlong and it looked as if she had pinched it. But Hanagan brought Green Park with a sustained challenge on the rails to get up in the last few strides to score by half a length. Fahey said of the 11-2 shot: "Green Park loves this soft ground, I could not see where Paul was in the early part of the race and I was delighted when I realised that the one coming up the inside was him. "I am delighted for the horse's owners - they have been very patient - as you know sprinters do not win that often. When I declared Fonthill Road the ground was good to soft, good in places and I would have been happy to have run him on that. But when it went soft, heavy in places, I did not want him to carry 9st 13lb in it - it is not that he does not like some cut in the ground. "He (Fonthill Road) is in good form and I will run him tomorrow in the Chipchase Stakes (at Newcastle). He has 9st 3lb in that and only has to give weight to a couple of horses." Mecca's Mate will also be making a swift return to the fray. Trainer David Barker explained: "She will run here tomorrow in the Northern Sprint if she is all right - and there is no reason why she should not be. She works harder than that on the gallops!" Franny Norton was seen at his best as he brought the David Barron-trained Thornaby Green home in the Gosforth Decorating & Building Services Handicap. Norton sent the 12-1 chance to the front from the outset and held off nearest pursuer Turn Of Phrase by half a length. Barron was represented by his son, Tim, who said: "He did that well - he did it the same way as he did when Dean Hislop won on him here last year. Franny gave him a good ride." Things did not go quite right for Eternal Legacy at Carlisle last time out but everything fell into place in the Phoenix Security Group Maiden Fillies' Stakes. Eric Alston's charge ran out a most convincing winner in the hands of Kevin Darley. Darley soon had the five-year-old at the head of affairs and drew clear approaching the final furlong to pass the post with six lengths to spare over Lan Kwai Fong. Alston said: "She needed this ground and the step-up in trip - she met all sorts of trouble at Carlisle and Kevin said she would have won with a clear run. I had to run her in another maiden as I could not get her in a handicap. "But she should get in one now and I had better try to find one as soon as possible." Shot To Fame, ridden by Adrian Nicholls, relinquished what appeared an unassailable lead in the digibet Handicap as Wigwam Willie (3-1 joint favourite) came with a decisive late challenge under Neil Callan. There was further disappointment for Nicholls, who was suspended for one day (July 10) for not riding to his draw. Prospect Court routed the opposition in a trappy-looking renewal of the Intersky 50 Club Handicap. Winning trainer Alistair Whillans said: "We only have four horses running on the Flat and that is our second winner in a week. "The soft ground makes all the difference to this horse and if it dries up we will give him a month's break." Morristown Music (14-1) showed good speed on the far side to take the concluding People Portal Handicap in the hands of Tony Hamilton. | 
