The going was good to firm, good in places on this bright Thursday afternoon.
Support for Clive Cox’s handicap debutant Dargel (13/8 fav) in the opener, over a mile, turned out to be justified. The horse, who was having his first run after a breathing operation, joined the leading trio two out. It was hard to choose between any of them until the half-furlong pole, when Oisin Murphy on the favourite gained the upper hand. He stayed on dourly to prevail by three quarters of a length from Amor Fati.
Miss Icon’s form figures didn’t inspire much confidence in the 7f race, but her SP of 8/1 suggested she had a chance and her trainer Patrick Chamings was upbeat in a TV interview before the race. Having only her second outing after being off for more than 18 months with an injury, she responded gamely for Liam Keniry to outbattle Little Miss Kodi. Snatching the lead in the final 50 yards, she won by half a length.
The 6f race for two-year-olds went to Ron Harris’s Don’t Stop Dancing (40/1), who showed good early speed, bagged the stand rail, and dashed clear of the favourite Above in the penultimate furlong. The leader began running out of steam in the closing stages, but David Probert was still able to let him coast home, allowing the runner-up to close to within a neck.
There was a market move for Robert Stephens’s Secondo (7/2) in the 6f handicap, even though the horse being on a losing run lasting four and a half years. Despite that, once he burst out of the pack in the final furlong he put the race to bed straight away, finishing “firsto” (as commentator Richard Hoiles said) in a manner suggesting he should not have to wait that long before he wins again. Richard Kingscote was the successful jockey. The locally-trained veteran Jaganory, came in second, two lengths away.
Another local trainer, Chris Mason, took the 5f handicap with Aquadabra (9/4 fav). The recent Wolverhampton winner was switched off the rail by Callum Shepherd to get a clear run in the final furlong. She stuck on gamely to overhaul Spot Lite close home. As in her previous race, the winning margin was a short head.
The well backed Marcus Tregoning filly Trelinney (7/4 fav) broke her duck in the 1m2f handicap in pleasing fashion. She took the lead two out and wasn’t seriously troubled to score by three quarters of a length under Martin Dwyer. Bug Boy, who was slowly away, stayed on well to take second without threatening the winner.
The card concluded with a race for apprentices over 1m2f. The improving Seaborn (11/8 fav) was soon in front and rider William Carver was allowed to dictate the pace on him. He gradually increased it in the home straight and though the others reached his heels two out, they couldn’t go past. Seaborn kept going, to win by a length and a half and complete a double for Patrick Chamings. The rest of the field finished in a heap, Simbirsk coming out best of them.
