Charging Indian success at Ripon

With the rain continuing to pour down conditions were very testing at Ripon, but Mick Channon's newcomer Charging Indian handled the ground and gamely got off the mark in the EBF Bishopton Maiden Stakes.

The 5-1 chance showed his inexperience early on and got behind, but gradually got the hang of things and kept on well in the closing stages to collar Black Attack right on the line to win by a nose.

Wining rider Eddie Creighton was gaining his first success on the course and he said: "The ground is horrible really. Charging Indian has been working well at home and I think he will be going to Royal Ascot now.

"We brought him here to try and win with him before going there and six furlongs will suit him."

There were no doubts about Moonstreaker coping with the conditions and he ran out a convincing winner of the NFU Mutual Challenge Handicap.

Trained by Richard Whitaker for Ian Ender, the 12-1 chance was sent to the front at the quarter-mile marker by apprentice Michael Stainton and strode away to pass the post with two and three-quarter lengths to spare over Keisha Kayleigh.

Whitaker was represented by his son Simon, who said: "Moonstreaker is getting better as he gets older. He had a lot of teething problems as a young horse.

"Dean McKeown said the ground was too firm for him when he rode him at Beverley last time and when we saw the forecast (for rain) we thought we would come here and fortunately the forecast was right."

The going was officially changed from soft to heavy after the second race.

Rising Shadow gained his first success for trainer Noel Wilson under a good ride from Jimmy Quinn in the feature Nick Wilmot-Smith Memorial Handicap.

Just as Valery Borzov was getting the better of Bel Cantor, Quinn produced his mount with a well-timed challenge to get his head in front inside the last 100 yards and win by three-quarters of a length.

Rising Shadow was successful once for Richard Fahey and five times for David Barron before joining Wilson at Flaxton, near York.

Wilson said of the 4-1 winner: "It is nice to get him back winning. He has been a good horse but he has got his problems, his joints are not nice to look at.

"But our blacksmith Ryan Batty has done a great job in building up his shoes and so helping protect the joints."