New boy David Egan in the big money again thanks to Elegant Man in Easter Classic

Talk about a dream start. David Egan will be hoping he never wakes up after following up his Lincoln victory by landing the feature race on All-Weather Championships day.

Having come from off the pace to take the £150,000 handicap at Doncaster last Saturday on Mr Professor, Amo Racing's new jockey made all the running on the Adrian Murray-trained Elegant Man in the £200,000 Easter Classic, soon going to the front despite a wide draw and holding on by a length and a quarter.

"It's not the spring double but it's close!" he joked. "It's fantastic to get such a good start. It's all about keeping it going. These are really exciting times." 

Egan was happy to take the lead on the 11-4 favourite and said: "He always breaks a little slowly and from a wide draw, with his inexperience, I didn't want to have a mountain to climb with the way races have been unfolding on the round track.

"Races are being run at a sedate pace and I got a very easy lead. I tried to make it a test up the straight and when they came to me he picked up again.

"He carried top weight in a £200,000 handicap on his fourth start and he's won like that. He's a very classy horse."

Cuban Tiger roars out warning

When you have leading fancies for the Qipco 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas, landing a Listed mile race with a relatively unheralded three-year-old can only bode well. 

So no wonder Karl Burke was smiling after a plan hatched three months ago came off when Cuban Tiger took the BetMGM Burradon Stakes under Clifford Lee.

He has Classic hopes for Fallen Angel and Night Raider at Newmarket in May and said: "It's great. We've got a big team of three-year-olds and some really nice stuff there. Hopefully they'll all stay in one piece."

Burke added of Cuban Tiger: "Today was the plan since the turn of the year. It's great that we've pulled it off. 

"We were hoping he'd run really well but you never know what you're taking on. I knew we had a horse who was better than his rating. It was a question of how good we were.

Cuban Tiger (right) wins under Clifford LeeCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

'He gave her the best ride she’s had'

Lee got the waiting tactics right on Cloud Cover to give in-form James Tate a well-timed win in the £150,000 BetMGM Fillies’ and Mares’ Championships Handicap.

"I said just before the race that I was dying for a jockey to give me a heart attack, to come so late I nearly have to go into A&E afterwards, and he executed it perfectly with a peach of a ride,” the trainer said. “He gave her the best ride she’s had.

Clifford Lee completes a double on Cloud CoverCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

“We have a slightly smaller team this year. We hope that a win like this can highlight our talents to potential customers. We have the odd empty box and it would be lovely to invite some new ones in.”

Late rider switch

A traffic jam was costly for Benoit de la Sayette. He couldn't get to Newcastle to ride Prydwen, who won the £150,000 BetUK All-Weather Championships Marathon under late replacement Danny Tudhope.

"It wasn't poor Benoit's fault at all," said trainer George Scott. "There was a crash right in front of him and he couldn't help it. But we were delighted when Danny was available and took the ride. He's an outstanding jockey.

Scott, who was at Lingfield, added: "A huge amount of credit has to go to Arc. They've put on two very good meetings. There are big crowds at both meetings, excellent prize-money and very competitive fields."

Massive winner for Leavy

Up-and-coming apprentice Joe Leavy, 18, rode his biggest winner when landing the BetMGM All-Weather Championships Mile Handicap on 33-1 shot Talis Evolvere for Richard Hannon.

"This is massive, a big winner for the boss on finals day," he said. "I had a really productive winter and I rode out my 7lb claim last week.

"I had a winner on Lincoln day and now I've got one here. I hope it can snowball a bit of momentum for the championship maybe."

Dubai dash after double

Oisin Murphy rode a double for Andrew Balding on Fire Demon (3 Year Old Championships) and Fivethousandtoone (Sprint), scarcely 20 hours before he partners stablemate Coltrane in the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan.

"I'm taking a small plane from here down to Denham, just off the M25," the jockey explained. "Then I'll get a lift to Heathrow and go on the 10pm flight. It's actually not hard, compared to driving home to Lambourn tonight."

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