CHRIS Thornton has his sights set on some big targets for Lets Roll after the consistent three-year-old gained a deserved success at Redcar yesterday.
Newmarket raider Prenup moved smoothly into the lead in the Formica Surfacing Your World Handicap over three furlongs from home, but then started to look about in front and Dean McKeown brought Lets Roll (11-2) with a good run to catch him inside the last and win by half a length.
Thornton, who had a jumping winner at Hexham last month, was opening his account for the season on the Flat.
''I needed that one!'' he smiled.
''It is amazing that he has shown form over shorter trips because he is bred to stay forever. He is by Tamure, a very underrated stallion, and I bought him for only 1,400gns as a yearling at the Doncaster Sales.
''The November Handicap is the sort of race I will be looking at for him. He has plenty of stamina but he has speed too.
''Dean said we ought to be thinking about the Ebor next year - I don't know if he would be good enough for that, but the one mile, six furlongs there would suit him.''
Fergal Lynch could hardly have been more delighted as he brought the Reg Hollinshead-trained Nanna (8-1) home in front in the ''Win A Holiday To Orlando''- Racecard Competition Handicap.
Lynch, who was apprenticed to Hollinshead for two years, said: ''I left Reg in 1999 and, although I have ridden winners for him since, I can't remember when the last one was so it is nice to have another for him.''
Hollinshead's daughter Sarah said: ''That was great, Fergal gave the horse a super ride and father will be proud of him.''
The heavy burst of rain before racing turned the ground in Parisian Playboy's favour and Jedd O'Keeffe's 66-1 chance gained a shock success under apprentice Leanne Kershaw in the Yankee Doodle Day Apprentice Handicap.
''When I walked the course the going was good and that would have just been all right for the horse,'' the trainer said. ''But when the rain came and it went to 'soft, good to soft in places', it was a life-saver.
''He must have some give in the ground and I said he would have an each-way chance after the rain - but I never had a pound on him!
''I am very pleased for Leanne, she has gone a while without a winner and deserved this one.''
The victory of Lucky Judge in the Car Boot Fairs Every Saturday And Sunday Handicap means Alan Swinbank needs only two more successes to reach a century of winners as a trainer.
Swinbank, who took out a licence just over three years ago, said: ''We haven't done too badly have we?
''I have been lucky to have had some nice horses to train and hopefully we can keep going as we have been.''
Ann Stokell had a double success when she rode Pawan to victory in the redcarracing.co.uk Classified Stakes.co.uk.
Richmond-based Miss Stokell, who trains the 16-1 winner for her sister Caron, said: ''I used to ride over jumps but then gave up for two years while I was building up my stable.
''When they started the Regional Racing, I decided to take out a licence again because in a lot of those races horses carry 9st 7lb and that would have been ideal for me - but now I could do 7st 12lb, even though I eat plenty of chocolate and all sorts of rubbish!''
Australian jockey Kerrin McEvoy steered the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Northern Splendour (8-11) to victory in the European Breeders Fund Maiden Stakes.
Gone Fishing took up the running with a quarter of a mile to race but Northern Splendour wore her down to get on top inside the final furlong and score by one and three-quarter lengths.
McEvoy, who was having his third ride at Redcar, said: ''Northern Splendour is still learning but he is a nice horse and did it well in the end.
''I think the soft ground helped him too.''
l Refuse To Bend lived up to his name in a thrill-packed renewal of the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park on Saturday.
Godolphin's mid-season purple patch of form continued as Frankie Dettori's mount held the valiant challenge of Warrsan by a head.
Favourite Rakti was blown away after running too freely in the early stages of the £409,000 contest, in the process helping to set a pace that was so fast it had separated the men from the boys by the time the field reached the two-furlong pole.
Rakti's chance was effectively over within seconds after the start as he missed the break and Philip Robinson was forced into briefly chasing him along in order to secure his favoured prominent position.
Suddenly, nothing was going to plan for favourite-backers.
Pacemaker Maktub lacked the legs to reach the lead for the first quarter-mile, while Rakti was all over the place, pulling for his head as Robinson struggled to reassert his supremacy.
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