RACING: Demczak celebrates maiden win (From Witney Gazette)

RACING: Demczak celebrates maiden win

11:00am Wednesday 13th June 2012 in Sport By Russell Smith, Sports reporter specialising in horse racing. Call me on 01865 425453

Carterton's Carl Demczak celebrated his first winner as a sole owner when Shirataki triumphed at Windsor on Saturday evening.

Demczak, managing director of Witney firm Monarch Hose & Hydraulics Ltd, cheered on the four-year-old gelding to victory in the Fegentri World Cup of Nations Stakes.

Trained by Peter Hiatt at Hook Norton, Shirataki made all the running under French student Camille Peltier before holding off Gower Rules by a neck in the amateur riders’ handicap over a mile and two furlongs.

Demczak said: “This is my first win as a complete owner, which makes it very special.”

But the success was far from straightforward as Peltier, 19, didn’t speak any English and Hiatt had to give his instructions through fellow countryman Mikael Mescam, who was also riding in the race.

Demczak, who plans to donate his prize-money of around £1,500 to Riding for the Disabled at New Yatt, near Witney, added: “We thought she understood that she should go to the far side where the good ground was.

“She kept to the centre, but it worked out fantastically.”

It also saw Demczak and Hiatt combine to win the race for the second successive year after Waahej, whom they own jointly, scored when it was run in August 2011.