Billion in bloom

Owner Mark Bloomfield enjoyed a belated birthday present as Billion Dollar Kid scored first time out for Ron Harris in the toteswinger Brighton Rocket Handicap.

Harris had been trying to give Bloomfield a win birthday winner on Thursday, but it arrived 24 hours late in the six-furlong dash.

The winner was picked up out of a Great Leigh’s claimer last month for £8000, a price which looked cheap as chips after the former Richard Hannon and Simon Callaghan inmate recouped just over £6000 for his success.

The 11-2 chance collared 7-2 favourite Peter Island with a furlong left to run and kept on gamely for a three-quarter-length verdict.

Harris said: “He cost around £100,000 at the sales not so long ago and we picked him up for £8000.

“He is a smashing horse and has nearly paid for himself after that.

“It was his owner Mark Bloomfield’s birthday yesterday and I was trying to give him a winner then, and this is as close as we got.”

Mouse Hamilton-Fairley saddled her first winner for 170 days as Chris Catlin brought Spent home in the toteplacepot Maiden Handicap.

Catlin and the 5-1 chance edged right up the hill on to better ground in the seven-furlong contest, and held on in a photo-finish from 33-1 chance Royal Sovereign.

Hamilton-Fairley said: “We had quite a batch of seconds and thirds and you can become despondent, so it is great for the whole yard to have a winner.

“It was hard to judge whether he had won, but it was a great ride from Chris as he worked out the best ground was on the stands side.”

Catlin followed up to provide Peter Makin with the first leg of a quick across-the-card double when coaxing 100-30 joint-favourite Solo River across the line in the Spearmint Rhino Rouge Brighton Handicap.

Who’s Winning failed to attract any interest after his success under George Baker in the AJC UK Selling Stakes, with no bid received for Brendan Powell’s seven-year-old.

And that was despite a tenacious winning effort, with the 4-1 favourite eating up ground through the final furlong to collect with more authority than the half-length margin would suggest.

Baker said: “He is a horse who has had his problems so he isn’t one who you can throw the kitchen sink at.

“You have to wait for him to pick up, and once he hit the rising ground today he took off.”

Carl Llewellyn boasted a 33% strike-rate at the seaside venue prior to the For A Quality Betting Experience Choose Better Claiming Stakes, and enhanced his record as Steig obliged as the 11-8 favourite.

The Danco Handicap provided an upset with 20-1 chance Soundbyte taking top honours, while the fast-and-furious toteexacta Handicap went the way of JayanJay (5-1).