All smiles in Essex as Bracken's Laugh romps home in Road To The Kentucky Derby feature

Bracken's Laugh is booked for the tight turns of Chester rather than the bright lights of Churchill Downs after winning the latest running of the Woodford Reserve Cardinal Conditions Stakes, the last leg of the Road To The Kentucky Derby Series.

The £100,000 mile contest was supposed to be all about the Aidan O'Brien-trained Capulet, to whom punters crashed into as he was backed to 8-13 (from evens) just before the off, but he had no answer to the finishing burst of the 9-1 chance, who was extending the red-hot run of Richard Hughes.

Bracken's Laugh, owned by Bernardine and Sean Mulryan, ensured his first run on the all-weather was a winning one, dropping back from a mile and a quarter after disappointing in France last autumn.

Finley Marsh was registering one of his biggest career wins on the son of Zoffany on whom he sat tight out of the fierce wind down the back straight off a pace set by eventual second Orne in the eight-runner contest.  

In the end Bracken's Laugh won by two and three-quarter lengths with Capulet a further half-length away. 

The winning trainer said: "We earmarked this race a few months ago and I would have been happy to have finished in the first three, but to win it is very satisfying. I didn't know if he was a Guineas horse or a Derby horse so we've decided to go to Chester for the Dee Stakes next and then look at a race at Royal Ascot."

Hughes, who was taking his recent strike-rate close to 50 per cent with the win, added: "He's our best horse so if he hadn't run well we'd be in trouble, but the team are in good shape and long may it continue."

Winning jockey Marsh said: "He's a proper horse and that was a phenomenal performance off a break. He travelled around there great and although a horse came back on me in the straight, he had enough toe to get around him and stretched out impressively. He's always been a good horse and he'll be even better back on grass." 

The name's Bond

Jockey Alice Bond had the chance to showcase her skills in front of an ITV audience in the opening 1m2f apprentice handicap and took it with both hands, when steering her father's Mc'Ted to a second successive win.

The 9-2 chance overcame the very windy conditions to hold off the late thrust of Platinum Prince to give Bond her fourth career win.

The 25-year-old rider, who was previously attached to James Ferguson, has not looked back since joining winning trainer Joe Parr and was backing up a win on Mc'Ted just four days previously at Wolverhampton.

Her father and winning owner Stuart said: "As Alice wanted to ride, I thought I had better buy some horses."

Autism In Racing Day

Chelmsford is looking forward to having a third Autism In Racing Day later this year. 

Anthony Coleridge, head of live events at the track, said: "Our Autism In Racing Day this year is on August 6 and it proved so popular last year that over 60 families attended. The site is set up well for such events as we have marquees dotted about that we can set up with games and sensory experiences. It's something that we look to do annually from now on."

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