Honourable fourth for Dvinsky

Dvinsky ran a gallant fourth in the race named in his honour at Kempton yesterday on what was his 200th career start.

The Paul Howling-trained 11-year-old was rousted from the stalls to take a handy position immediately behind the pace-setting Riflessione.

And Tom McLaughlin’s mount ran with menace for plenty of the six furlongs, even taking a narrow advantage two out.

He was still in the firing line at the furlong pole, but the in-form Richard Kingscote had made a withering run from the rear on Sole Dancer and swamped the field.

Milton Bradley’s charge went on to run out a ready length and a quarter winner from Katmai River, with Lastkingofscotland just edging Dvinsky for third.

Dvinsky could now run again at Kempton at the weekend in what is an extra fixture added by the British Horseracing Authority in the cold snap.

Howling said: “It wasn’t quite to be, he does rather run the same type of race but there’s still life in the old boy yet.

“We’re thinking of re-entering in a 0-65 here on Saturday, so the story goes on.

“Perhaps we will speak again after his 300th run!”

McLaughlin added: “It’s a shame for the old boy, he likes to dominate his races and I think if he’d been in the first division (of this race) he might have won because there was no pace. He’s still got his enthusiasm, but he’s getting a bit long in the tooth and it’s a shame because winning would have been a fairytale for Paul.”