Oscars Journey takes Windsor prize

John Jenkins found Oscars Journey a fine opportunity to break his duck as Windsor's Flat season drew to a close today.

The wily Royston trainer had seen his juvenile finish sixth to The Gold Cheongsam at Newmarket, which was probably the best performance from his four previous starts and earned him the position as 5-4 favourite in the Roflow Environmental Engineering Median Auction Maiden Stakes.

The six starters were spread all over the track and Jimmy Fortune picked the far rail for Oscars Journey, who kept up the gallop to finish a length and a half clear of his closest market rival Tregereth.

"The ground's very deep but we had the best of it," said Fortune.

"He was running a bit keen so I wanted to get away from the other horses."

Tony Newcombe was close to a one-two in the Happy Retirement Jeremy Ridgway Claiming Stakes.

His 12-1 shot Victorian Bounty occupied a more prominent position under Fergus Sweeney and held on by half a length from Ertikaan in a tight finish, while the winner's stablemate, Mambo Spirit, flashed home for third.

"He's been a good horse on his day, he was second in the Betfred Sprint at York as a three-year-old," said Victorian Bounty's owner, Dave Gilbert.

"His old trainer, Stef Higgins, said he contracted the equine equivalent of glandular fever and it took him a long time to come back to his old self.

"He tries, and it's nice to see him back winning again."

Fortune was back in the winner's enclosure in the RJ Clyde Builders Nursery aboard the Robert Mills-trained Reliant Robin (11-2).

The Irish jockey again favoured the far side and got a good response from the Moss Vale gelding, who had finished fifth in a similar event only five days earlier and pulled two lengths clear of Khefyn.

Richard Ryan, Mills' assistant, said: "He's not a bad type at all and didn't cost a lot, but he's been an unlucky horse.

"The gap opened up for him at Lingfield last time but he couldn't pick up on the surface, and he came here fit.

"He is likely to go to the horses in training sales next week."

Whitecrest (7-1) claimed a first victory in more than a year as she became yet another to use that golden strip on the far rail in the davisbakerycaribbean.com Handicap.

There was little to recommend about John Spearing's filly, apart from a second place at Brighton a month ago, but Chris Catlin gave her a positive ride and booted her a length and a half clear of Shawkantango.

"She tries hard and really deserved that one," said Catlin.

"I pulled a bit clear of the field and hoped she'd hold on.

"Hopefully she'll go on and win another one now."