Rookie trainer Horton revels in first Listed win as McDonald brings home Maximus

Saturday: Newmarket

Former Sir Michael Stoute assistant James Horton returned to one of his old haunts to register a breakthrough first black-type success in the Listed Hopeful Stakes with Sam Maximus.

The 14-1 chance appreciated the ease in the ground and the drop from Group 1 company to outgun Vadream under a strong ride from PJ McDonald.

Horton, who sent out his first runner from his private North Yorkshire training operation for John and Jess Dance only in March, was registering his 12th winner of the season.

He said: "If you'd said to me at the beginning of the season we'd have a Listed winner and 11 others by now I'd have bitten your hand off. We started with a yard full of maidens and it's an incredible effort from the team back home.

"Sam Maximus showed good form here last year. We thought he was in good form and that the bit of rain in the ground would help him."

Horton, who was assistant to Stoute for seven years until branching out on his own a year ago, added: "John and Jess are in this to have big Saturday runners and to have winners at places like Newmarket and York are what they are all about."

McDonald later doubled up when Sarsons Risk won the 1m4f handicap for Ian Williams.

Money-spinner

Amichi and Ray Dawson after their sales race triumph

The first running of the Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes witnessed the biggest juvenile field of the season on the July course with 18 hopefuls trying to grab a slice of the £100,000 pie.

The sale, which was originally staged at Ascot, was successfully switched to Newmarket a year ago where the winner Amichi was one of the cheaper acquisitions at just 15,500gns.

Winning owner Laurence Bellman and successful trainer Ed Walker do a lot of business through agent Ed Sackvillle, after whom the son of Gregorian is named.

After welcoming back successful jockey Ray Dawson, Bellman said: "Amichi is Ed's nickname and he kept asking when we would name a horse after him. It didn't look very promising first time out when he was very naughty so we had him gelded and he won at Kempton next time. We came here with an each-way chance, to win it is very nice."

Amichi earned nearly four times his purchase price by landing the £55,000 first prize in accounting for the more expensive Miss Jungle Cat (60,000gns) and Eddie's Boy (45,000gns).

Dawson doubled up in the closing 5f handicap on Isle Of Inisfree for Robert Cowell. It was a late spare ride after Saffie Osborne had a fall in the 1m4f handicap.

Hong Kong-bound

James Fanshawe will soon have to wave goodbye to the juvenile Endeared but he will do so on a high after she collected at the fourth time of asking in the opening 6f novice stakes.

The 11-8 favourite is owned by Hong Kong owner Ben Wong and will soon be plying his trade at Happy Valley and Sha Tin after a tidy victory from the penalised Charyn under Daniel Muscutt.

Fanshawe said: "Endeared has run into some decent types before now and was entitled to win but she won't be with us for very much longer as she's off to Hong Kong. Her owner Mr Wong has four horses with us and the plan is that they go to the Far East at some point."

Fanshawe also had some news of his improving sprinter Willem Twee, who has won his last three races. He said: "Willem Twee worked this morning and is entered in a nice handicap at Ascot next Saturday."

Results and analysis

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