Racing Centre

Impressive Elms Cambridge median auction maiden winner Prolific. Picture Steven Cargill

NEWMARKET’S latest three-day meeting has seen some superb racing with Prolific being perhaps the most exciting winner so far.

Royal Ascot could be on the agenda for trainer Richard Hannon’s debutant, who romped away with the Elms Cambridge-sponsored five-furlong maiden on The NatWest Rowley Mile’s only evening fixture of the year. Purchased for £52,000 earlier this spring at the Doncaster breeze-ups, he went a small way to repaying that outlay with a three-and-a-quarter length victory from Brae Hill.

Highclere director Harry Herbert said: “He is a lovely horse with a great action. His jockey Richard Hughes was very impressed. He will get six furlongs and I think he could be a Coventry or Norfolk horse. That is what we are hoping.”

Without A Prayer bounced back from a disappointing performance in the Greenham with a gutsy victory in a hot Waggon And Horses 1m conditions race. He sprang something of a surprise when landing the spoils under Seb Sanders at odds of 18/1.

Joint champion jockey Sanders wound the pace up from the front and held the late raids of Moyenne Corniche and Fateh Field.

Sanders said: “It was a mystery the way he ran last time. We thought he was good enough to be competitive in the Greenham, so it is nice that he has come here and won what was a warm contest.”

Sanders was also successful in the 1m 2f Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation handicap on Jeer, who got the better of Kaateb in a battling finish.

Friday afternoon saw a seven-race card in which Tadhg O’Shea took the riding honours, registering a 246/1 double.

First he was victorious on Full Of Nature in the bet internet.com-sponsored 6f fillies’ maiden and then he gave rookie trainer Simon Callaghan his first success at Newmarker with Froissee obliging in the Get Best Odds Guaranteed At bet internet.com 7f handicap.

Callaghan said: “I have been coming here a long time so it great to have a winner at the track. This filly has done well from three to four and there may be a decent handicap in her, particularly in this ground - she likes a bit of cut.”

By Tony Rushmer