Richard Hughes softens blow of appeal loss

Richard Hughes momentarily put frustration to one side as he provided something of a fairytale result to the Sir Gerald Whent Memorial Nursery at Newbury.

Hughes started his hectic day in London by failing to reduce the severity of a six-day suspension for careless riding, which may well sound the death knell on his attempt at catching Paul Hanagan in the jockeys' championship.

He will traverse the country in search of winning opportunities until the ban starts a week on Saturday, heading off to Wolverhampton this evening after Newbury, and will have at least been cheered by the gutsy success of Vanguard Dream, who was brought up as an orphan by Sir Gerald Whent's widow, Lady Sarah.

Vanguard Dream (4-1), who had won both his previous starts, led throughout the seven-furlong event but needed to fight tooth and nail with 2-1 favourite Unex El Greco before his greater experience proved decisive.

Lady Whent, who has horses with Vanguard Dream's trainer Richard Hannon and runs Raffin Stud near Hungerford, said: "We don't own him any more but I'm so pleased as he's our little orphan. His dam died and he was quite small, but he has really grown."

Mark Johnston's Royal Applause filly Qenaa looks a surefire future winner at Musselburgh today on the back of a fine effort at Goodwood in July.

Last of six on her debut at Sandown, she was beaten just a short head by Brian Meehan's Mortitia on her next outing.

That one has since gone close in Group company at Ayr, while the third home at Goodwood, Ed Dunlop's Sharnberry, who was not disgraced at all in the Cheveley Park. Qenaa should therefore take all the beating in the EBF Maiden Stakes.

Godolphin look to have found the perfect opportunity for Kirklees to get back to winning ways in the Garbutt & Elliott Conditions Stakes at York.

The six-year-old is a thoroughly admirable performer who falls just below top class and had been teed up for a crack at the Melbourne Cup last year, only for Saeed bin Suroor to declare himself unhappy with the horse upon his arrival in Australia and pull him out the big race. Off the track since, connections must have been very pleased with his comeback at Ayr when fourth in the Doonside Cup, and he should have too much class for his rivals today.