As they get older, they nearly always get wiser, and so it seemed as Right Wing won the Doncaster Mile, the feature race on the opening day of the turf Flat season.

The seven-year-old, who has never been the most straightforward of animals, looked ill at ease in the cold, rainy conditions and it was only Pat Eddery's encouragement that kept him in contention in the early stages of the Listed race.

But supporters of the 11-4 second-favourite began to feel cheerier as Right Wing joined his rivals with over a quarter of a mile of the race to travel, just as Willie Supple sent odds-on market-leader Albarahin to the front.

By the time the runners reached the furlong-pole, Albarahin had taken the measure of Nicobar, but Eddery had begun to get a sweet tune out of Right Wing, who swept into the lead.

The drama was not over as Right Wing proceeded to hang into his rival on the rails, forcing Supple to stop riding as the post approached.

But the stewards were satisfied that the result was not affected and allowed he placings to stand.

Eddery was found guilty of careless riding and cautioned by the stewards as to his future conduct.

Trainer John Dunlop was represented by travelling head lad Robert Hamilton, who said: ''Provided he retains some enthusiasm, he will stay in the same sort of races that he ran in last year, the top handicaps and Listed races at this sort of trip.''

Owner Susan Roy, trainer Brian Meehan and jockey Brett Doyle completed the first double of the season when Tamiami Trail's win in the Balby Handicap was followed by Gryffindor taking the Badsworth Maiden Stakes.

Conditions were becoming ever more testing and 10-1 chance Tamiami Trail galloped his rivals into the mud.

Meehan's charge was carrying top weight but when Doyle sent the winner into the lead with over a furlong to travel, the response was immediate and the son of Indian Ridge shot clear to score by six lengths from favourite Compton Commander.

Restrictions imposed in the wake of the foot and mouth epidemic have left trainers such as Meehan struggling to get work into their string.

''It's very hard to know where they are, for example this horse has only been on grass once this winter,'' he said.

''Fortunately we have plenty of good all-weather gallops in Lambourn. But all we can do is get them as fit as we can.''

Gryffindor completed an equally-authoritative success when flooring Haasil by seven lengths.

The son of Marju is held in some regard by Meehan and has entries in ''some good Group races across Europe'' in the coming months.

Bryan McMahon has made a habit of taking the opening juvenile race of the season, the Ballyhane Stud Brocklesby Conditions Stakes, and Shuffling Kid followed up the victories of Nearly A Fool (1999) and Seraphina (2000) to make it a unique hat-trick for the Tamworth trainer.

Shuffling Kid, under Richard Quinn, hit the front over a furlong out to come home a length ahead of Double Pay with Magic trick a further five lengths back in third.

''He was just bought over the road very cheaply and he's turned out just how we wanted,'' said McMahon, who feels there may be more to come from the colt.

''I was surprised he came up on the ground as he did. You need something that can go in that ground and stay on.''

Les Eyre has found it difficult to attract success in recent months so Bawsian's victory in the opening Racing Schools Apprentice Handicap came as a great relief.

''We've had a tough time of it over the last 18 months or so. I don't know why, other than we finished up with a lot of bad horses,'' he said.

''We've tried to do something about it. We've kept the better ones and we've got a load of new young ones.''

Eyre paid tribute to Bawsian's tall 17-year-old jockey David Nolan, who brought the gelding down the outside with a well-timed run to deny The Butterwick Kid by a neck to record his first success in the saddle.

''He's a good kid. I'm delighted for him. Because of his size we'll be lucky to get two years out of him so we'll do out best for him.

''He's some pilot, I'll tell you that.''

l Low draws are all the rage for tomorrow's Randombet.com Lincoln at Doncaster.

As former England football coach Kevin Keegan picked out the names of the runners in the £50,000 handicap their connections plumped for single-figure draws.

Leading fancies Nimello (stall one), Kirovski (eight) and Vintage Premium (nine) are all set to race on the far side of the straight mile at Town Moor.

However, the evidence from the first day of the meeting may give those drawn low some concern.

The Badsworth Maiden Stakes run over the Lincoln course and distance was won by Gryffindor, drawn right against the stands' rail in 19.

And over the two races run on the five-furlong track the winners were drawn second-highest and fourth-highest respectively.

Kirovski's rider Richard Quinn said: ''We'll just have to take it as it comes. The ground is dead and very gluey. When Kirovski won his races last season it was on good ground but he did run a good race at Ascot on heavy ground."