Hannon success at Kempton
Richard Hannon dominated the williamhill.com Best Football Odds Fact! EBF Maiden Stakes at Kempton, sending out all-the-way winner Avon River and third-placed Dream Of Gerontius.
The Everleigh trainer's youngsters invariably improve from their first run and this was the case with Avon River, who showed smart gate speed to come home two and a quarter lengths clear of the promising Paradise Dream under Jimmy Fortune.
Hannon was represented by one of his owners, Paul Merritt, who said: "The first run was a massive learning curve.
"He's been a little bit lazy at home but beat a couple of good ones today.
"He needs further and Jimmy said he will come on again."
Ron Harris landed what he described as "my best win of the year" when Glamorous Spirit made every yard under Kevin Ghunowa in the williamhill.com Can Shearer Save Newcastle? Handicap.
Glamorous Spirit had set a track record for the five-furlong trip when landing a claimer here last August and, according to her trainer, everyone except himself had forgotten that.
In what was almost a carbon copy of the opening race, the 7-1 winner set a strong pace and never looked like coming back.
Harris said: "It has been an absolute bonanza. She was down in trip, was drawn right and had everything in her favour.
"I couldn't believe the price. She's so quick and had been running in better races.
"She'll be all right of turf, but we'll take it as it comes now. This was what we were hoping for."
Megalala maintained the sequence of all-the-way winners when gamely repelling the strong late thrust of Chalice Welcome in the williamhill.com Wanna Bet Man Utd? Handicap.
Like the previous two races, it was run at a furious pace with Neil Chalmers determined to replicate the tactics he had displayed on the John Bridger-trained winner on a previous visit here.
At the line, Megalala had half a length and two and a quarter lengths to spare over Chalice Welcome and Watson's Bay.
Chalmers said: "I've won on him twice before and that's the way to get the best out of him. You need to wind it up from the front. That's my first winner of the Flat season."
