Rank outsider wins at Brighton
Miss Bootylishes defied a staggering market drift and a not exactly bullish prognosis from trainer Andy Haynes to get off the mark at the first attempt at Brighton.
Although sent off at 33-1 on course in the Brakes Fresh Ideas Maiden Auction Stakes, the Betfair exchange reported she had been backed at 8s overnight but before the off she was trading for decent money at 109-1.
As the cliche goes, horses do not know their price and although Miss Bootylishes looked inexperienced travelling along the fair rail, she responded sweetly to Kevin Ghunowa when it mattered.
The 10-11 favourite Maybe I Won't tried to stamp his authority in the closing stages but Miss Bootylishes picked him off and was a length ahead at the line.
The runner-up's rider Dane O'Neill dropped his whip close home but it did not affect the result at all.
"I said on television that we were not sure about her today but that we knew we had a filly who would win races," reported Haynes.
"I'm delighted how she has won, looking so green. I'm not sure what we do now, but she won't be over-raced this year."
She was the third success for the up-and-coming trainer in the last week and a half.
It was also a red-letter day for 5lb claimer Ghunowa, who book-ended the card by shoving home the Milton Bradley-trained Harrison's Flyer (15-8 favourite) in a tight finish for the Bet Now At WBX.COM Handicap.
Things did not get better for O'Neill though, as his 4-6 favourite Commandment could also only muster second in the Sussex Newspapers Median Auction Maiden Stakes.
The market suggested it would only be a two-horse race, and so it proved with Expedience (15-8) living up to her name.
The pair drew a mile clear of their rivals with Ryan Moore and Expedience always just on top, taking the race by a length.
The winner took trainer Sir Michael Stoute's remarkable record at Brighton to 12 from 20 runners in the last five years.
The master handler's travelling head lad Gary Weir said: "She's hard and tough. She wasn't suited by the all-weather last time and we felt the cut in the ground and slight drop in trip would help. It will do her the world of good."
Tibouchina justified 11-8 favouritism in runaway style in the WBX.COM Handicap despite Ralph Beckett's wariness.
The recent rain saw the field decimated to four runners, but in any event Tibouchina and James Doyle would have been hard to beat, such was her authority.
She has thrived since moving to Beckett from Ireland, having also scored at Bath a fortnight ago.
"If only they were all that easy," smiled the trainer.
"I was concerned about the ground - when they win on very fast ground they don't normally like it that soft, but we took our chance.
"She's won two now and has a good pedigree, so she's worth something."
Another to cope with converse conditions was Purus (7-2), a winner on fast going here last time and who pulled away by a ready five lengths in the WBX.COM Bet Exchange Handicap under Chris Catlin.
It was a third success for freshman trainer Roger Teal, who said: "He's been waiting for this ground all the time, but you can't always get it.
"It's horses for courses, so I might bring him back here for a race either next week or the week after. I hope the handicapper is not too hard."
William Buick has demonstrated his tactical awareness at this notoriously tricky course already this season and proved it again by ploughing a lone furrow down the far rail to nick the Classic Events Marquees Claiming Stakes aboard Lawyer To World.
Shaheer became the third odds-on favourite to fill the runner-up spot and he made a bold bid off a lamentable pace but Buick's 7-2 shot passed him smoothly with a furlong to go and eased three lengths clear.
Lawyer To World later swapped hands from Neville Callaghan to Christine Dunnett.
