RACING: Bramley given perfect birthday present (From The Oxford Times)

RACING: Bramley given perfect birthday present

6:35pm Wednesday 29th July 2009 in

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Sean Curran, who trains at Hatford, near Stanford in the Vale, provided amateur jockey Faye Bramley with a perfect 28th birthday present – a winning ride on Sagunt at Chepstow.

Lambourn-based Bramley always had the six-year-old in the firing line in a handicap over a mile-and-a-half run in testing conditions, before cruising home by three lengths from Arab League.

Wantage trainer Henry Candy’s hopes of a big run from leading fancy Markab in Saturday’s Bluesquare.com Stewards’ Cup will have been boosted by wins for Shangani and Aye Aye Digby.

Apprentice Amy Scott steered Shangani to a fast-diminshing head success from Sister Clement in a fillies’ handicap over six furlongs at Windsor.

And Aye Aye Digby battled on gamely for Dane O’Neill to hold off Pumpkin by half a length in a six-furlong handicap at Newmarket.

On the same card, West Ilsley trainer Mick Channon sent out Hairspray to take a juveniles’ six-furlong conditions stakes.

Darryll Holland’s mount quickened up well to pass the post a neck ahead of Blue Angel.

Channon also enjoyed success with Jehu, who made the trip north to Catterick worthwhile with an amazing success.

Rounding the home turn in the seven-furlong nursery, Tony Culhane’s mount was well adrift in last place.

But he then staged a storming finish to pip Storm Hawk by a short head.

Deloria fulfilled the promise of her Newbury debut by getting off the mark for Blewbury trainer Eve Johnson Houghton at Salisbury.

However, it was far from plain sailing for Alan Munro’s mount as she got up on the nod to beat Tislaam by a nose in a six-furlong maiden.

Johnson Houghton could now aim the daughter of Mark Of Esteem at York’s Lowther Stakes next month.

Whatcombe trainer Paul Cole was also on the mark at the Wiltshire track when Cruikadyke ran out a comfortable winner of the mile claiming stakes in the hands of Martin Dwyer.

Two days earlier, Cole struck at Folkestone with Bea Menace, who made all the running under Jim Crowley to beat Sermons Mount by two lengths in a seven-furlong handicap.

West Ilsley trainer Denis Coakley sent out the winner of the corresponding Bath juvenile maiden stakes for the second successive season when Dark Eyes made a winning debut.

However, while last year’s success with Qalahari was expected with the colt sent off a red-hot 8-13 shot, this was quite a surprise with Catherine Gannon’s mount a 40-1 outsider.