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."

Punchestown Festival Starts Today

Sizing Europe and Big Zeb again face off in a mouthwatering clash for the Boylesports.com Champion Chase at Punchestown.

Big Zeb won the 2010 Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham but finished runner-up this year to Henry de Bromhead's stable star. Sizing Europe's regular partner Andrew Lynch is currently out injured so Timmy Murphy has been snapped up for a great spare ride.

Golden Silver, winner of this race 12 months ago, and his Willie Mullins-trained stablemate J'y Vole are also in the shake-up. Paul Townend rides Golden Silver, with Ruby Walsh on the mare.

Captain Cee Bee, third at Cheltenham, will have another crack at the big two, while Sizing Europe's stablemate Changing Course completes the six-runner field.

Colm Murphy is keen for Big Zeb to have another crack at Sizing Europe.

"He's been very good since Cheltenham. He came out of the Queen Mother very well," said Murphy.

"Hopefully it will all go. We're taking on Sizing Europe again and it's 1-1 at the minute and obviously we are hoping we come out on top this time. Thankfully he loves this good ground so that shouldn't be a problem as they've put plenty of water on. The meeting is a lot later this year but he's shown no sign that he's dropping off."


Sizing Europe is reported to be in fine shape as he bids to follow up his Cheltenham victory.

De Bromhead said: "He seems in good form. Everything seems good and we're looking forward to getting him out and running him. Big Zeb, Golden Silver and Captain Cee Bee are all in there again so it should be good. We've also got Changing Course in there and he's in grand form too."

Chester Cup Entry

Blue Bajan could make a belated racecourse reappearance for new trainer David O'Meara in the totesport.com Chester Cup on Wednesday.

Owner Dr John Hollowood has moved the nine-year-old to up-and-coming O'Meara from Andy Turnell as he is local to his North Yorkshire stable. Capable on the Flat and over timber for Turnell, Blue Bajan has not raced since finishing well down the field in the 2010 totesport Trophy at Newbury.

"It would be very presumptuous to think he could win a Chester Cup after more than 400 days off the track so it would be a bit of a learning curve with him if he were to run," said O'Meara.

"But he'll be fit enough to do himself justice and as long as he's OK between now and then and the ground is suitable, we'd look at running him, with hopefully Danny Tudhope riding."

More News From Newmarket

Times Up continued to pay his way for connections with a gutsy victory in the Qipco Sponsors British Champions Series Handicap at Newmarket.

John Dunlop's gelding has now won three times at Headquarters as well as gaining a valuable success in the November Handicap at Doncaster at the end of last season.

Fresh from a pipe-opener on Town Moor, Times Up (8-1) found just a little more than 9-2 favourite Sharaayeen and got up by a short head in the hands of Richard Hughes.


Michael Meacock, part-owner and breeder, said: "He got his name because he was the last in the line of his dam, Princess Genista. It would be nice if we could get him ready for a win at Royal Ascot."

Pastoral Player (12-1) made an impressive return to action in the Al Rayan Handicap for Hughie Morrison.

The four-year-old had problems in the stalls on a number of occasions last season and was not that fast away once again, but he was soon travelling well in the hands of Steve Drowne, who exercised patience before unleashing his mount inside the final furlong.

On meeting the rising ground, Pastoral Player picked up in some style to score by a ready two lengths from Fratellino.

Morrison said: "He needed it today but he's certainly talented and I definitely think he's worth upgrading on that basis. He's at least Listed class, so we'll take it from there."

Godolphin Land The Spoils

Godolphin's Blue Bunting finished with a late surge to land the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in the hands of Frankie Dettori.

Group One-winning filly Hooray adopted her customary front-running tactics but was a spent force heading inside the final furlong, while Memory blew any chance she might have had with a very slow start.

Together looked the likely winner when getting the better of a duel with Maqaasid passing the furlong marker, but Mahmood Al Zarooni's 16-1 chance Blue Bunting flashed home up the stands rail to score by three-quarters of a length.

We All Make Mistakes!

Peterjon Carberry faces a hefty ban from the British Horseracing Authority after mistaking the winning post in the final race at Uttoxeter.

Carberry was riding Rachel Hobbs' 100-30 favourite Monty's Moon in the Get Live Football Stats At totesport.com Novices' Handicap Hurdle and appeared to have the prize sewn up when racing into a clear lead after the final flight.

But he eased down when passing the marker that denotes the chase and hurdle course and he was passed by both Some Catch and Miller's Dawn in the final strides, being beaten a neck and three-quarters of a length into third.

The on-course stewards noted this was Carberry's second such offence within the space of 12 months and therefore referred the matter to the BHA.

Henry Cecil's Frankel produced a barely believable performance as he made every yard of the running in the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket under Tom Queally.

An unbeaten juvenile campaign and a ready comeback victory in Newbury's Greenham Stakes led to the son of Galileo being sent off at 1-2 for the season's first Classic.

Rerouted was due to be a pacemaker, but he just could not keep up as Frankel quickly opened up a huge advantage, and after being miles clear at halfway, he passed the post with a stunning six lengths in hand of Dubawi Gold. Native Khan was a further half-length away in third.