Spencer takes second victory of day at Newbury
Jamie Spencer, fresh from his Group One victory on Red Evie in the Lockinge, posted another impressive success as Ripples Maid sprinted home in the paddypower.com Handicap at Newbury.
Jonathan Geake's filly put up a much-improved effort to kick clear in the six-furlong dash and come away from the field in the closing stages.
The 11-2 chance flashed across the line with a length and three-quarters to spare and now faces a rise in class - with a possible outing to Royal Ascot thrown into the mix.
Geake said: "She is amazing and I don't have many like her in the yard. She is the sort of filly who can put your name in lights.
"Jamie was very impressed by her and thinks she could be a Group filly.
"She will follow the Listed pattern for fillies now and she will also have an entry in the Wokingham."
Mark Johnston dominated the main supporting races on the Lockinge card with a near 26½-1 double courtesy of Zaham and Peppertree Lane.
The former completed his brace with Richard Hills guiding the 4-1 chance to a smooth victory over Duke Of Tuscany and Dubai Twilight in the £62,000 London Paddy Power Gold Cup.
Johnston, whose colt has won three of his five starts, said: "He is improving and there is still more to come.
"We set him alight in the Esher Cup so the plan was to get him more settled here.
"The plan was to go for the Britannia but he wants further, and got the 10 furlongs well here, so we will go and try and find a nice mile-and-a-quarter handicap."
Peppertree Lane (9-2) and Kevin Darley caused an upset when flooring 1-2 favourite Day Flight in the Listed paddypower.com Stakes.
Group Captain looked a danger a furlong out but was just denied second place by the odds-on market leader, who stayed on to finish a three-quarter-length second.
Johnston said: "As soon as they came to his girth he found more and Kevin said he could go round again.
"He had a few options but we came here for the softer ground."
Day Flight was having his first start since the Hardwicke Stakes last summer, and owner Khalid Abdullah's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe blamed a lack of match practice for his defeat.
He said: "He probably needed that as it was a while since he raced."
Connections of Coasting hope Mick Kinane will be available to take the ride on the promising youngster at Royal Ascot after the Irishman guided him to victory in the Sanderson Weatherall Maiden Stakes.
Kinane punched the 4-1 shot through into the lead inside the distance after a split appeared along the rails.
The pair went onto collect by half a length from Masaalek.
Trainer Amanda Perrett's husband Mark said: "Mick rode Jo'Burg to finish second in this race 12 months ago.
"Jo'Burg went onto be beaten just over two lengths in the Coventry, and he will go to Royal Ascot too, where he will be entered in the Coventry and the Norfolk."
Hills partnered runner-up Masaalek and was suspended for two days (May 30-31) after being found guilty of careless riding.
Barry Hills' team continue in fine form and his Folly Lodge appreciated the step down from Listed company to take the Catridge Farm Stud & Manor Farm Packers Fillies' Handicap at odds of 28-1.
Zaahid provided Hills and his son Richard with a second winner of the afternoon as the 7-2 chance opened his account in division one of the Olympic Coach Builders / Hendy Van And Truck Maiden Stakes.
Division two saw a real upset with 100-1 chance Look So seeing off Cape Hawk by a neck to score for trainer Ralph Beckett and jockey James Doyle.
Beckett said: "She has had problems and got a load of sand in her face at Kempton last time, so I hoped she might run better on grass."
