Josephine Gordon rides first winner for Tony Carroll as trainer strikes twice at his favourite track

No trainer has been more successful at the seaside venue than Tony Carroll over the last five years, and the king of the track was at it again with winners in two of the first three races.

Alshimali got off the mark at the 13th attempt with a two-length victory in the opening 5½f handicap under Josephine Gordon, who was riding her first winner for Carroll.

The Worcestershire-based trainer then saddled the first and second in the 1m2f classified stakes with Celebrating Ethel beating stablemate Headshot by three and a quarter lengths to end a winless run stretching back to August 2023, when she was trained in Ireland by Andrew Kinirons.

The six-year-old mare, who had gone 25 starts since her last success, was hard ridden two furlongs from home by Jack Doughty but went clear to score comfortably.

"I'm delighted – they've done well," Carroll told Sky Sports Racing. "It was nice for Celebrating Ethel because she hadn't won for me before, and I've had her a while. It's been a long road, but we got there in the end.

"Headshot ran well in second as he only raced two days ago."

The trainer was denied a treble when odds-on favourite Towerlands was beaten a short head by the Michael Attwater-trained Berning Hot in the 7f handicap.

Bullet king Haggas

William Haggas and Tom Marquand were on the mark with two favourites to secure a double of their own.

Magic Stone held on gamely to win the 6f maiden by a neck, before the strong-travelling Another Abbot landed the feature 6f Brighton Bullet Handicap by two lengths.

Another Abbot's victory was Haggas's third Brighton Bullet win in the last four runnings. 

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