Eden lands Newcastle plunge

Eric Alston's King Of Eden landed a gamble in dramatic fashion under David Allan in the Complete Football Handicap at Newcastle today.

The field split into two groups and approaching the final furlong, King Of Eden and Miss Daawe - racing on opposite sides of the course - had the race between them.

They flashed across the line together with the photograph revealing that King Of Eden, who came up the stands rails, had prevailed by a nose.

King Of Eden was backed from 25-1 to 9-1 and Alston's wife, Sue, said: "I don't know whose money it was, I never backed him. Eric told me to put a fiver on for him - I have got the ticket here!

"I bought the horse at Doncaster Breeze-Up Sales and when I got him home Eric said: 'Have you bought a giraffe'?"

"He has taken all this time to come to himself but he is still a baby really."

There was another nail-biting finish to the LA Taxis Conditions Stakes with even-money favourite Lovelace, having his first run for David Nicholls, getting home by the narrowest margins again.

Dream Lodge took it up about two out and then shook off Souter's Sister who had loomed up looking a big danger, but the trainer's son Adrian dashed Lovelace between the pair to lead inside the final furlong and battle on to a nose success.

Lovelace was bought out of the Mark Johnston stable for £34,000 (€39,452) earlier this month, and Alan Pirie, of owners Dab Hand Racing, said: "He may now run in a conditions race at Haydock in two weeks' time or a race at York (Hambleton Handicap) on May 13 in which he finished fourth last year."

Battlemaiden (9-2) was another to strike first time out for a new stable when she landed the ipcsecurity.co.uk Fillies' Handicap over a mile under Joe Fanning.

Fanning sent her to the front from the outset and at the business end she had enough in reserve to hold the challenges of Nimue and Sweet Child O'Mine by one and a half lengths and a short head.

She is now trained by the aforementioned Johnston, who said: "She came from Godolphin, we did not have her last year.

"She had been running over shorter trips. On pedigree she will get a bit further (than a mile) although Joe said she would not mind dropping back in distance again."