Punters given the Boot at Brighton

Boot’N Toot rocked punters at the seaside today with a 100-1 success as he denied a plunge on well-backed favourite Topkat in the big race on Ladies’ Day at Brighton today.

A bumper summer holiday crowd were treated to a thrilling finish for the £30,000 totesport.com Brighton Challenge Cup as Jean-Pierre Guillambert just persuaded the Charles Cyzer-trained winner to hold off the final flourish of Topkat by a short-head.

The winner had taken up the running at the furlong-pole in a contest that saw few of the field really get into the race.

And the daughter of Mtoto stuck on gamely to hold the winner, who looked unlikely to take a hand when ridden two furlongs out but picked up in the closing stages to force a photograph.

“Fillies have a habit of going in and out of form and this filly has not been running particularly well,” admitted Cyzer.

“But most of mine seem to go off at silly prices and she definitely had form which entitled her to have a chance today, particularly on decent ground which we got.

“We also changed the tactics because we have been trying to hold her up before now. She was given a positive ride and that probably had something to do with it too.

“We have been a bit out of form and it is a relief to get off the cold trainers’ table, but hopefully we can have another winner or two now.”

Topkat’s trainer David Elsworth was magnanimous in defeat and did at least have the consolation of saddling an earlier winner in the totesport 0800 221 221 Fillies’ Handicap when 14-1 chance Blue Lullaby scored under John Egan.

It was looking like being a good day for the bookies until Intriguing Glimpse became the first winning favourite of the afternoon when running out a clear-cut victor in the toteexacta Brighton Dash.

The 9-2 favourite fairly bolted away from her rivals in the final stages and defeated the unlucky-in-running Redwood Star by four lengths.

In-form Saxon Saint defied a penalty to take the opening toteplacepot Nursery under Hayley Turner.

Having chased the leaders in the early stages, the 9-2 chance came between rivals to lead well inside the final furlong, despite hanging left towards the far rail throughout the final stages.

At the winning post, Saxon Saint had a neck to spare over Nivelle, with Shermeen a length and a quarter further back in third.

And the successful rider, who continues to impress with her performance in the saddle, came in for some rare praise from winning trainer Mark Usher.

“She has given that horse a simply fabulous ride,” he said. “He is a horse who totally needs his mind making up for him and a lot of this success has to go down to Hayley.”

The stewards held an inquiry into why Franny Norton appeared to fail to ride his mount out for third place in the final stages.

But having heard his evidence that his mount was denied a clear run in the final furlong – an explanation he had reported upon weighing-in under Instruction H24 – no further action was taken.

Mister Benedictine broke his duck at the sixth time of asking with a battling display to lift the classiceventmarquees.co.uk Maiden Stakes.

The Willie Muir-trained colt had turned in a disappointing effort when only fifth having been sent off favourite at Lingfield on his previous start.

“I would have really fancied him today if he hadn’t run so badly last time,” admitted Muir.

“The time before that he had hung across the track at Folkestone when it looked like he wasn’t doing it, so I tried him in a ring bit and he might not have faced it at Lingfield.

“In fact, his Folkestone form doesn’t look so bad now with the winner, Close To You, having gone on to win some nice races.

“I think he’s probably quite a nice horse and this wasn’t a bad race for Brighton.”

George Baker brought Edge Fund widest of all to take the Saks Hair & Beauty Handicap.

The 6-1 chance was disputing last place for the first half of the one-mile contest, but made steady progress to join the back of the field at the three-furlong pole.

Brought right around the outside of his rivals, he finished fast to avoid the hard-luck stories on his inside and lead close home to beat Didoe by a head.

A series of stewards’ inquiries throughout the day kept the officials busy, but Chris Catlin was the only jockey to collect a suspension – one day (August 13) for careless riding aboard Lola Sapola in the big race.