Deauville delight for Blockley
Lady Deauville gave Paul Blockley his most important success of the season when displaying an affinity for the soft ground to land the EBF Upavon Fillies' Stakes at Salisbury.
Twice a winner at Listed level as a two-year-old, the grey travelled best throughout for Franny Norton and, when asked to set her seal on the contest, asserted to score by a length and a head from Sweet Lilly and Cape Amber.
Blockley is keen to strike while underfoot conditions favour his charge and the trainer said: "If she comes out of it well she'll go again at Bath on Sunday. There's a fillies' Listed race there and if there's any cut in the ground she must have a great chance.
"She has plenty of toe for the drop back to a mile."
Blockley often takes his 4-1 winner to France and added: "She gets prize-money bonuses there and you always get the cut in the ground. I'm just delighted that she's got her head in front again. She's a hardy old thing."
Stalking Shadow added to Godolphin's fine record at this track when overcoming unsuitable ground in the Goldring Security Services Pembroke Cup.
Frankie Dettori's mount took an ominous walk in the market to start 15-8, but after covering the early move of Ben Ami she stayed on too well for Acrostic, scoring by a neck.
Dettori said: "The rain was just on the top of the ground and we were confident we'd get away with it, but if the race had been an hour later we'd have been in trouble."
Richard Hannon saddled a 46th individual two-year-old winner of the year when Princess Hannah edged-out Cavera by half a length in division one of the EBF/Carmen Wines Maiden Stakes.
Richard Hughes always had his filly in the right place at the right time, whereas the promising third, Zero Money, was a bit short of room when mounting his effort. However, this made no difference to the result.
Hannon said after the 5-2 success: "This filly disappointed me at Goodwood but she was buffeted leaving the stalls. She had the experience edge today."
Ralph Beckett took the second division with Outofoil, on whom Ryan Moore found a gap against the rail at the perfect moment. The combination kept on to score, all out, by a head from Frank Street.
Beckett, whose Oaks winner Look Here is set for York next week, said: "This fellow was bought to be a fun horse and that's what he is. He's a 75-80 horse, who'll make up into a nice handicapper."
River Captain relished the easy conditions when landing the James & Sons Nursery for trainer Sylvester Kirk and jockey Richard Kingscote.
The son of Captain Rio left previous runnings behind to score by two and a quarter lengths from River Dee, but the 10-1 win was not a surprise to his trainer.
Kirk, who was asked to explain the improvement to the stewards, said: "Like all Captain Rio's he just loves the soft ground. I'd fancied him at Windsor but it was on the fast side and he hated that."
Tuanku made his first run for Alan King a winning one when coming back from a year on the sidelines to land the Champagne Joseph Perrier Handicap in the hands of Fergus Sweeney.
The 4-1 favourite was in front two out and kept on doggedly to foil a gamble on Seventh Hill by a neck.
Sweeney, however, picked-up a two-day ban for using his whip with excessive force which runs on August 27 and 28.
A try at seven furlongs for the first time worked the oracle for Rod Millman's Castano (9-2), who took the Axminster Carpets Apprentice Handicap by three and a quarter lengths from Outer Hebrides.
