The second day of this two-day fixture saw two Brighton course specialists both trying to achieve an unprecedented tenth victory here.
It was mainly sunny, though it became cloudier later. The going was good to firm.
A competitive four-runner nursery over 6f began the card. Karl Burke’s northern raider War Of Clans (9/4) was in front from the cutaway, only for King’s View to take a slight lead on the rail. Clans, racing up the centre of the track – which seems to be generally favoured these days – rallied to regain the advantage inside the final furlong. He finished a length and a half up, giving apprentice Harrison Shaw a winner on his first ride at the track.
Daily Times was long odds on for the 6f maiden fillies stakes, having much the best form, and set out to make all the running. However, she couldn’t shake off Belle Anglaise (9/2) from the Stuart Williams yard, who harried her all the way to the line and gamely stuck her head in front in the last couple of strides. The winning distance was a neck, and Richard Kingscote was the successful jockey.
The third race was one of the highlights of the Brighton year, the Ian Carnaby Selling Handicap over 6f. Almost inevitably, the course’s leading trainer Tony Carroll furnished the winner. This was Knockabout Queen, who demolished her opponents by coming with a great run in the penultimate furlong under Kieren Fox, then surging three lengths clear. Congress Place finished second. The usual prizes of sticks of rock were distributed afterwards. There were no bids for the winner.
The 7f race saw the first attempt on the record for the most wins by a horse at Brighton. In his first Class 5 for a year, with blinkers restored, up in trip and with a stablemate ensuring a good pace, conditions were ideal for Pour La Victoire today and he was backed into 5/2 favourite. Unlike his last few outings, he didn’t need to be walked to the start. Slowly away, as usual, start his new jockey Hollie Doyle settled him in the rear until bringing him wide and running on well up the hill to lead 150 yards out. In the end, a record tenth win was achieved by a fairly comfortable length and a half, and you couldn’t dismiss the possibility of number eleven before long. Bint Dandy was second.
Roy Rocket tried to equal the new record in the next, over 1m4f, but threatened only briefly. The other grey in the race, Kirtling (5/1), was held up off a strong pace until taking up the running a furlong and a half out. Despite hanging to his right Sea Of Mystery plugged on to take second place, only a length and a quarter behind. Jack Mitchell rode the winner for Andi Brown, who has just two horses in training at his Newmarket yard.
A 5f novices race attracted just three horses, and their finishing order tallied with their odds of 1/6, 11/2 and 16/1. Hollie Doyle waited until a furlong and a half out before asking the Archie Watson-trained favourite, Hassaad, to go on, and the filly readily drew nine lengths ahead of Katherine Place.
The finale was a 5f apprentices handicap, which resulted in Tony Carroll’s third winner of the day and his fifth of the meeting. Tan tried to make all, but Wiley Post (2/1), who had met trouble in running earlier, dashed past him near the half furlong pole to score a convincing length and a half success for Elisha Whittington.
