Beverley Review

Trainer Mark Johnston and jockey Silvestre de Sousa took the honours with a first and last race double through Cravat and Coax at Beverley.

Cravat (11-2) made a winning debut in the TurfTV Median Auction Maiden Stakes when bagging the favoured far rail early on and he always looked likely to prevail.

John Quinn's Superplex had the benefit of a previous run and he kept the winner honest in the closing stages, but the Johnston newcomer passed the line with three-quarters of a length in hand. He is the first juvenile winner Johnston has sent out this year, although Cravat was only his ninth such runner.

Coax was Johnston's only other runner at the track and the 7-2 favourite duly defied top weight in the White Rabbit Handicap. After tracking the pace-setting Rational Act, Coax hit the front a furlong from home but was all out to hold the fast-finishing Alensgrove by a neck with Valeo Si Vales just a head away in third.

Johnston was also successful with another two-year-old newcomer Vocational at Warwick and all his three winners are owned by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.


My Gacho (9-2), a former Johnston inmate, struck for Dandy Nicholls when leading all the way in the Yorkshire Racing Summer Festival In July Handicap. Ridden by the trainer`s son Adrian, the nine-year-old got home by three-quarters of a length from Handsome Falcon.

Another Wise Kid came with a late rattle to to win the Mayday Raceday Handicap for Paul Midgley. Bryan Smart's Rhal set a scorching early pace and was still in front entering the final furlong.

However, she began to wander under pressure and the challengers were mounting, with Another Wise Kid (13-2) finishing fastest of all under Micky Fenton to win by three-quarters of a length.

"The only reason I left him in the race was because I thought he'd win on Saturday," said Midgley.

"He travelled great (at Thirsk) but didn't find anything. He ate up afterwards and after scratching my head all weekend, I decided to run him. He takes his racing well and we'll look for something at York for him now."