My Arch rewards Pears' patience

There were plenty in it with a quarter-mile to race, but apprentice Barry McHugh brought the 11-1 chance with a perfectly-timed run to catch Veloso and Bogside Theatre in the last strides, winning by a short head and a neck.

The winner had been backed at 33-1 in the morning exchanges but has suffered from serious back problems and Pears said: "He is an unbelievable horse and could win anything – flat, hurdles or fences – when he is right.

"The plan is to run him in a two-mile handicap at Ripon, where he will get his ground, and then we will go for the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot."

Richard Fahey and Paul Hanagan's good run continued when the consistent She's In The Money (7-4 favourite) survived a stewards' inquiry after passing the post in front in the Bet totepool At Totesport.com Easter Handicap. Fahey, saddling his eighth winner since the start of the turf campaign at Doncaster, said: "You have to say it was a very uncompetitive race and did not take much winning."

Joe Fanning has made a great start to the year and left himself only one short of his half-century for 2010 when Skyfire made it second time lucky in the totequadpot Maiden Stakes. The 11-1 chance got his head in front about a furlong and a half from home and despite being carried left by the favourite Jack O'Lantern, Fanning kept him going in good style to then hold off Chushka by a neck.

Fanning said of the Mark Johnston-trained three-year-old: "He is a nice horse and did it well, though he is still green."

Paul Dixon, president of the Racehorse Owners Association, was in attendance to see Luscivious carry his colours to victory in the toteswinger Handicap. Freddie Tylicki had Luscivious – backed from 8-1 to 5-1 – smartly away and he made virtually all the running on the stands rail to pass the post with two and three-quarter lengths to spare over Highland Warrior.

Dixon said: "He won two races on the bounce on soft ground for us at Catterick and we thought we had a nice horse but he then lost his way a bit.

"He tries every time but we have been wanting soft ground for him and when we saw it was going to be soft here we brought him up and everything was stacked in his favour."

Fremen impressed with an emphatic success in the toteplacepot Selling Stakes. Trained by David Nicholls and ridden by his son Adrian, the 2-1 chance stuck to his task well to hold the persistent challenge of market leader Wind Star by a length and three-quarters.

Former 11-times champion jockey Pat Eddery made it two winners from only two runners he has saddled on the course when Goodlukin Lucy (evens) won the Bet totepool 0800 221 221 Maiden Stakes in the hands of apprentice Martin Lane.

Eddery said: "She is a nice filly. She has a lovely action and I am confident she will be better on better ground."

McHugh, who was handed a five-day ban for using his whip with excessive frequency on My Arch, ended the day with a bump as he was unseated from Koo And The Gang on leaving the stalls for the concluding Bet totepool On All UK Racing Handicap. The five-furlong event went to the Bryan Smart-trained Esuvia (9-4).

Elsewhere, Jadanli claimed a dramatic race for the Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse after Zaarito fell at the third-last fence in the Grade One contest.

There was little to choose between the two at that obstacle, but the luckless Zaarito landed too steep and came down, leaving the race at Jadanli's mercy.

The 25-1 shot jumped the remaining fences but was out on his feet on the testing ground in the closing stages. It was chaos behind him as Roberto Goldback fell at the final jump, Shakervilz was hampered and unseated Ruby Walsh, while weary long-time leader Let Yourself Go refused. Jadanli, meanwhile, kept going for Andrew Lynch to win by 23 lengths.