'Once she got a bit of daylight she sprouted wings' - Boardroom shuffles off Thirsk rivals

Geoff Oldroyd could be back in the big time with Boardroom, who looked a smart two-year-old in winning the 5f maiden and enabling Harry Russell to ride out his claim.

The trainer won the Redcar Two Year Old Trophy and three Group races with Ladies Are Forever and had clearly not forgotten how to do the job between handing in his licence in 2015 and returning from retirement in 2021.

Boardroom had finished an encouraging second on her debut at Beverley and confirmed that promise with a striking effort, pushed along in fourth place approaching the final furlong, yet picking up so well that she won going away by a length and a quarter.

"She's a nice filly," said Oldroyd, 76. "We've always thought a bit about her. She got lost a bit early doors on her debut at Beverley and Harry said she wasn't really handling the ground here today, but once she got a bit of daylight she sprouted wings.

"She'll go to York for the Listed race at the Ebor meeting. We're hoping she can go to Redcar for the Two Year Old Trophy. Whether she'd get six furlongs we don't know, but we might as well have a crack if we can get York under our belt."

Reflecting on his return to training for Bond Thoroughbred Limited, Oldroyd said: "It's great. We've only got ten horses but that's enough. We've had four winners this season and I was aiming for ten, so I hope we'll get there."

Russell, 25, rode his first winner in 2018 and gained his biggest success on Tashkhan in a £100,000 handicap at Haydock in 2021. He said: "It's good to ride out my claim for Geoff; it's taken a while coming."

Harry Russell: rode out his claim on BoardroomCredit: David Carr (racingpost.com/photos)

'A proper ride'

Sam James rode his 50th winner of the year with a fine effort to get the eight-year-old Another Batt up close home on the stands' side rail in the feature William Hill Summer Cup.

Joint trainer Nic Barron, based just six miles away in Maunby, said: "It means plenty to win a big race here, especially with this horse. We were starting to wonder whether age was catching up with him, but clearly not!

"Well done Sam, it was a proper ride. He held his nerve; there's a fair advantage down the stands' side, isn't there?"

Racing TV's Kirsty Bradbury found a canny way to make sure the camera stayed dry on a wet afternoon

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