Racing Centre

Smokey Oakey winning at the NatWest Rowley Mile, photograph by Steven Cargill

DAME JUDI DENCH was a winner on the NatWest Rowley Mile today after Smokey Oakey fought out a superb duel with Eradicate in the Material Change And Global Recylcing Solutions handicap.

Jimmy Quinn gave the Tendulkar colt a strong ride to ensure a short head triumph - but the celebrated actress Dench wasn’t present to cheer on the horse she co-owns with her friend and work colleague Bryan Agar

Work commitments for the BBC in Gloucestershire meant that she was absent and it was left to Agar to greet the Mark Tompkins-trained three-year-old back into the winner’s enclosure after the narrow 4-1 triumph.

He said: “I got a text from Judi just before the race and it said, ’Good luck, let me know the result.’ She’ll be more than excited - like I am. She has not seen the horse yet, but she will have to come now, won’t she!”

Tompkins was in double form as his charge Oscarshall also scored, taking the seven-furlong Countryside Raceday handicap by two-and-a-half lengths from the David Elsworth-trained Summer Dancer.

Elsworth had earlier registered a triumph in the shape of eye-catching two-year-old Swiss Franc. The 4-7 favourite had a length-and-a-three-quarters in hand at the finish if the five-furlong knight frank.co.uk maiden and could head to Royal Ascot next month.

Elsworth said: “He is a tough cookie who takes his racing well and I am sure that he will improve. We will certainly give him another race - a novices’ or conditions’ race - and see how he copes with that.”

John Gosden saddled a double at his local track on Saturday and was on target again this afternoon as Transcend obliged in the Capital Spreads maiden.

Commando Scot relished the underfoot ease to make his presence felt in the Connaught Square Squirrel Hunt handicap, Goodbye Cash landed something of a touch in the European Breeders’ Fund fillies’ handicap and They All Laughed won the Bidwells Ladies handicap for amateur riders.

By Tony Rushmer