'We've had to play the waiting game' - bridesmaid Handel finally gets first win at the 21st attempt

Handel belatedly picked up his first career win when striking at the 21st attempt with a gutsy victory in the mile handicap.

Formerly trained by Aidan O'Brien, the five-year-old had been beaten in his previous 14 starts for Chelsea Banham but finally got his breakthrough when winning by three-quarters of a length, despite drifting in the closing stages under Joey Haynes.

"That was very good to finally get the win under his belt," the Newmarket trainer said. "It looked like it had been coming before but we've had to play the waiting game. Hopefully now that'll give him a great boost of confidence.

"We were thinking every time 'his win will come soon' but he was always finding a few too good for him. He wasn't being caught by them today, though.

"We've got no immediate targets, but he'll be out in another three or four weeks looking for that next win. He doesn't want to be running too quickly between his races."

Dion Baker, trained by Michael Wigham, similarly ended a long wait for a maiden career win when narrowly making it 16th time lucky in the 7f handicap.

Burke strikes

Karl Burke's strong run of form continued when Harvanna backed up her York success with an impressive victory in the 5f fillies' novice.

The juvenile defied a 7lb penalty to take the Yorkshire trainer's strike-rate in the last fortnight to 25 per cent.

Clover in luck

In-form trainer Tom Clover took his strike-rate to 31 per cent in the last two weeks when 4-11 favourite Prisha, who was made to work hard, landed the opening mile fillies' maiden.

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