Dascombe shows will to win

Tom Dascombe has excelled with his two-year-olds this year and Willridge proved the latest winner from that division for the Lambourn trainer when he made all in the Mary Wort Memorial Maiden Stakes at Salisbury.

Jockey Richard Kingscote elected to force the issue on the 7-1 winner, who was always holding gamble of the race Surprise Package.

Dascombe said: “I’m delighted for his owner, John Dewhurst, who sent me three horses. That’s my first winner for John and I know it’s quite a while since he last had a winner.

“The idea would be to see what the rating he gets and then go down the handicap route.”

Richard Hannon consolidated his position as leading trainer at the track when Ordnance Row landed the toteswinger Sovereign Stakes under Ryan Moore at the Wiltshire course.

Runner-up in the same Group Three contest 12 months ago, the five-year-old was settled in mid-division as his stablemate Redolent made the running, and responded gamely to Moore’s urgings to get the better of Laa Rayb by three-quarters of a length.

Redolent kept on well when headed to finish third, a further two and a quarter lengths back.

This was a first Pattern-race victory for the 5-1 chance, who could well remain at this level, according to his trainer’s son and assistant, Richard Junior.

He said: “He deserved to win a Group race, Ryan gets on with him particularly well, and he’s a credit to his owner, John Good, who also bred him.

“He’s made the graduation to this level and could be a Group Two horse. It could stretch him, but I think he deserves to be given a chance in that division.”

Ralph Beckett saddled his second two-year-old winner at the two-day meeting when Such Optimism (11-1) streaked home in the first division of the seven-furlong maiden.

The daughter of Sakhee was in command some way out under Seb Sanders and was much too good for Sunny Future as the favourite I Am The Best weakened disappointingly.

Beckett, successful with Outofoil on Wednesday, sent out his Oaks winner, Look Here, to win at this track last season but would not speculate on whether Such Optimism will prove to be anything like as good.

The trainer said: “She’s been a bit fizzy at home and in all honesty that was a nice surprise. I don’t think it was an especially great race but she could do no more than win easily.”

Forcing tactics paid off for Athania in the second division of this race as Richard Thomas’ mount came home from Blazing Buck and Peter Grimes.

The Alan Jarvis-trained winner (8-1) took a worrying walk in the market but was always in charge.

Jarvis said: “She just got a bit bored in front but I thought she had plenty in the tank.”

Jarvis completed a double in the Pat Boakes Memorial Handicap when Lady Sorcerer (17-2) and Darren Williams were just too strong for Act Three, scoring by a head in the best finish of the afternoon.

Miss Rochester was backed as if defeat was out of the question in the EBF/Tenon Recovery Fillies’ Handicap but the Sir Michael Stoute-trained favourite was never travelling as Star Of Gibraltar landed the spoils for John Dunlop and Dane O’Neill.