Mills teams enjoys Bux fizz
Buxted gave Terry Mills and his team cause to believe they have picked up a real bargain by strolling nine lengths clear on his belated debut at Lingfield today.
The mile-and-a-half Golf And Racing Maiden Stakes had attracted a combination of the untested and the uninspiring so the way the four-year-old obliged in the hands of Joe Fanning delivered a satisfying conclusion.
Epsom trainer Mills is struggling with ill health, so his assistant Richard Ryan said: "The poor owners, Mr and Mrs Ruthven, have had to wait a long time - the horse had an injury and missed his entire three-year-old career.
"He's a Dynaformer colt out of a Diesis mare. He's a six-figure stallion and he looks a six-figure horse. He's perfectly correct and I don't know how we got him for 48,000 guineas.
"We nearly ran him in a bumper last week, with Tony McCoy booked. That would have been interesting.
"We've always thought a lot of him but we'll go carefully - the season is long."
Cozy Tiger came second, well adrift of the 5-2 winner.
The all-weather has provided the lifeline to racing over the last fortnight, but the imminent return of grass action over jumps could have been gauged simply by the colour of the thawing infield as it transformed from white to green almost before the eye.
Chelsea director Alan Spence still has more exotic destinations on his mind but dropped in to watch one of his smaller fish as the consistent Jon Akehurst-trained Fivefold (13-8 favourite) triumphed in a blanket finish to the Bet African Nations Cup - Betdaq Maiden Stakes.
Spence said: "Bikini Babe is going out to Dubai, hopefully for the 1000 Guineas and the Oaks, and Jukebox Jury is going for the Sheema Classic in March.
"Hopefully Eradicate will be back soon, perhaps for the totesport Trophy, and Hot Prospect and Black Spirit are doing well.
"Then there will be the two-year-olds, so hopefully we'll have a good year."
Of Fivefold, Akehurst added: "I told Alan if he didn't win today he'd have some headgear on but he's earned a reprieve.
"To be fair, he's been a bit unlucky and hopefully the handicapper can only put him up 2lb for that."
Sunset Boulevard (4-1) was an almost permanent fixture here at this time last year and he scored for the fifth time over course and distance in the Lingfield Park Fourball Handicap.
His trainer, Lambourn-based Tor Sturgis, said: "He got an injury and we only brought him back for his first run last week.
"He needed a blow-out and it got him spot-on today. This is what he does, and he might come back in 10 days."
Hughie Morrison's Cosimo De Medici (9-4 joint-favourite) carried a 6lb penalty with the greatest of ease in the Golf At Lingfield Park Handicap, while Goodbye Cash did not quite live up to her name after attracting no bids at the auction despite returning the 15-8 favourite in the Bet Australian Open Tennis - Betdaq Selling Stakes.
The Bet Masters Snooker - Betdaq Handicap saw Turkish Sultan (25-1) nail Turner's Touch, before Jim Crowley got 5-2 favourite Steel City Boy up right on the button in the Marriott Play And Stay Handicap.
