Strut sails home at Newbury

Strut came from off the pace to take the stanjames.uk St Hugh's Stakes at Newbury in some style.

The 5-2 favourite looked in trouble at the halfway stage of the five-furlong Listed contest but picked off his rivals from that point onwards.

And collaring Sweet Afton and Brenda Meova 50 yards from the line, the Roger Charlton-trained winner went on to win by a neck.

“It’s a cliché, I know, but she will only improve,” said Charlton. “On what she did there you have to think that stepping up to six furlongs will suit her and I have actually put her in a nursery at Sandown next week.

“At halfway I thought we were going to be fifth, and then third, and then suddenly she was in front. She is still quite unfurnished but she is going to be a very nice filly in time.”

Rider Steve Drowne described the winner as “mentally slow rather than physically slow. She’s had quite a hard race today because they went very fast and I had to work but she is just learning all the time,” he said.