Leningrad sparks Derby dreams
Ridden by champion jockey Jamie Spencer, the 10-11 favourite never looked in any danger over the 10-furlong trip and streaked away to win by a length and a quarter from Alcyon, with Dyanita third a length and a half away.
The grey, owned in partnership by Philip Green and Michael Tabor, was immediately cut to 33-1 from 40s for the Vodafone Derby with Totesport.
Bell said: “That was a brilliant ride, the horse didn’t know he had a race.
“Good ground will suit him and I will probably run him in one of the Classic trials which will give us breathing space of about a month.”
Leningrad, like the stable’s blue riband hero Motivator of 12 months ago a son of Montjeu, showed his sire’s traits with a slow start and carried his head a little awkwardly but was nursed to a comfortable win.
Spencer doubled up on another colt with Classic aspirations as Easy Air scored in the HBLB Lingfield Park Leisure Club Handicap.
The Ed Dunlop-trained colt did not get off to the best of starts in the seven-furlong contest, dwelling in the stalls, but the 10-11 favourite soon made up lost ground and triumphed by a length and a quarter from Grimes Faith.
Ladbrokes reacted by clipping Easy Air to 40-1 from 66s for the first colt’s Classic.
Spencer reported: “He’s a grand horse but sleepy. Yet when you switch him on he goes.”
Dunlop added: “His brother Court Masterpiece displayed the same characteristics while his sister was a Group Two winner over five furlongs.”
The treble came up for Spencer in the penultimate Golf And Racing Days Out Handicap when 7-2 chance Molem, trained by Lady Herries, got the better of Beneking by a length and three quarters.
Bill Turner ran a couple in the lingfield-racecourse.co.uk Median Auction Maiden Stakes over five furlongs and came up trumps with 25-1 shot Lord Charles.
The winner showed a remarkable turn of speed to get up on the post and beat Pernomente by a head, with Fast Freddie half a length back in third.
Lord Charles was a first winner of the season for jockey Amir Quinn.
