Soft-ground specialist Mountain Angel powers through the mud to Wolferton win

Fortune did not favour Mountain Angel in last year's Wolferton Stakes but there was no denying the mudlover in driving rain at the second attempt when he was a ready winner of the Listed event.

Testing conditions are tailormade for the Roger Varian-trained six-year-old, who boasts form figures of 221285221 when racing on soft or very soft and provided James Doyle with a third winner of the meeting.

Subsequent top-level scorers Addeybb and Magic Wand battled out the finish last year but Mountain Angel would have finished considerably closer had he not been hampered in the early stages.

Wolferton Stakes result, replay and analysis

This time around it was very smooth. Doyle's mount made handsome headway on the inside rail, headed stablemate Prince Eiji approaching the final furlong and quickened away from the running-on Sir Dragonet and Regal Reality. His lead was two and a quarter lengths at the finish.

Paddy Power and Betfair Sportsbook introduced the Ziad A Galadari-owned winner into the Coral-Eclipse market at 20-1 but the Newmarket trainer is keen to take a patient approach.

Varian, who later in the afternoon landed the Jersey Stakes with Molatham and the Britannia with Khaloosy, said: "He had everything in his favour today, he goes well fresh, gets the trip well, appreciates some dig in the ground and had been training well. He ran well in the race last year when shuffled back early, it was probably a stronger race last year, and he's done it well in the end.

Mountain Angel stretches clear of the field to win the Wolferton Stakes under James DoyleCredit: Edward Whitaker

"He doesn't need over-racing, I think we'll bide our time with him. He ran well in Group races in France last autumn and I think it'll be a similar campaign. When he gets his conditions he's up to winning good races."

Doyle enjoyed a double on Lord North and Tactical on Wednesday and Mountain Angel was his tenth winner from 40 rides for Varian. They previously teamed up for success in the Doncaster Mile with Belardo in 2016 and Sharja Bridge in the Balmoral Handicap two years ago.

Doyle said: "It worked out perfectly, he ran well last year when some scrimmaging at Swinley Bottom probably cost him. The rain came at the right time and he loves some cut in the ground.

"He carted me into the race and then it was a case of not getting there too soon – he knuckled down well."

Sir Dragonet has been a beaten favourite on four of his last five starts, including in last year's Investec Derby, but there was encouragement to take from his second-placed effort, as was also the case with Regal Reality, who has shown his best form on a sounder surface.

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