Promising win for Meehan inmate

Austintatious, who had the misfortune of bumping into Vodafone Derby favourite Twice Over at the end of last season, had little trouble in winning his maiden at Kempton on Monday.

Brian Meehan’s colt now carries the international red and green silks of Team Valor and is entered in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

That may be a little ambitious at this stage but after rearing in the stalls, the 4-9 favourite was not unduly troubled under Frankie Dettori to land division one of the Cheryl Humphrey’s 50th Birthday Maiden Stakes by a length and quarter from the promising-looking Visions Of Johanna.

Meehan’s representative Patrick MacEwan said: “Frankie was over the moon with him and said he was very fresh.

“He’s a very nice horse and will go on from this.”

Division two was taken even more easily by another short-priced favourite, the 1-2 shot Khateeb, who was only just beaten on his debut in a leg of the Wood Ditton at the Newmarket Craven meeting.

He was faultless in winning by eight lengths in the hands of Richard Hills.

Roger Varian, assistant to trainer Michael Jarvis, said: “You can only beat what’s there. Richard really likes him and he has a very good attitude.”

Paul Cole’s Shampagne (13-8 favourite) showed plenty of fizz in the European Breeders’ Fund Maiden Stakes to make amends for his Nottingham debut second to the speedy Calypso Girl.

“We didn’t expect him to be beaten last time but the filly who won was more professional,” said Cole.

“However, he had been working very well at home.”