Evans at the double in Bath
David Evans’ supporters cleaned up at Bath’s first meeting of 2007 as the Abergavenny handler completed a 169-1 double with newcomer Vhujon and Dark Parade.
The former, a two-year-old colt by Mujadil, is Royal Ascot-bound after his impressive debut success in the P & C Morris Maiden Stakes at Bath.
Stephen Donohoe bounced the 33-1 shot out of the gate and had the field at full stretch by halfway in the five-furlong dash before scoring by three lengths from Just A Dancer.
Evans said: “That wasn’t a shock. I always thought he is a machine and he works well at home – he is quicker than anything else I have got.
“It’s nice to get a two-year-old winner on the board and with the speed he has shown he will go to Chester and then Royal Ascot.”
Evans’ brace was completed as Jamie Spencer brought Dark Parade (4-1) with a well-timed run to land the redcircleracing.co.uk Syndicate Handicap by two and a half lengths from Cantabilly.
Evans added: “He came to me from Gary Moore just over three weeks ago and he is a smashing sort.
“He has already been schooled and will go hurdling when the new season starts next month.”
Spencer went on to complete a brace of his own in the bet365.com Handicap as Spanish Ace shrugged off a 215-day absence to reward his supporters at odds of 7-1.
The win was trainer Milton Bradley’s first in 73 days, and he said: “Most of mine often need a run but he didn’t and he is best fresh.”
Eve Johnson Houghton’s dream start to her fledging training career continued as Shake On It gave the trainer a second victory when emerging on top from a nailbiting conclusion to the Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Maiden Stakes.
Just 24 hours after getting on the scoreboard at Pontefract, Johnson Houghton was back in the winner’s enclosure as her three-year-old collected by a head under Stephen Carson.
Johnson Houghton said: “I quite like this game! It has been a great start and the horses are running well.”
And of the 7-4 winner, she added: “He gets there and thinks he has done enough, but I do think he is a nice horse.”
Jean-Rene Auvray’s Double Spectre (6-1) bounced back from a poor run on the all-weather last month to take the 10-furlong Weatherbys Printing Handicap by three-quarters of a length in the hands of Dane O’Neill.
The trainer said: “They tend to go slow early on the all-weather and then sprint but here they go more of a pace and he can use his staying power.
“He probably isn’t an all-weather horse but the ground here suited and he came here in good form.”
Only four runners went to post for the five-furlong Racecourse Video Services Selling Stakes and Paul Blockley’s No Point (11-4) showed the most speed under Tadhg O’ Shea to collect by a head.
