Epsom trainer Terry Mills, very disappointed at having to give the Vodafone Derby a miss with Bid For Fame now has the Rothmans Royals St Leger in his sights for the colt following his success in the Poppin Lane Maiden Stakes at Pontefract today.
It was a very close call, but all credit to Bid For Fame for the way he stuck to his task under a fine ride from Tony Clark to get the better of Sense Of Freedom in the mile-and-a-half test.
Mills who had made the long trip north from his base said: 'This horse was bought to run in the Derby and he is a very well bred and lovely-looking horse.
'But everything went wrong for us, he got the cough early on and when we ran him in the Lingfield Derby trial the ground went soft and he has to have it on top - and then he wasn't right again.'
He went on: 'But we are definitely aiming at the St Leger now, he will get the trip as he stays all day and if it is good to firm up at Doncaster, you never know.
Mills had been going through a quiet spell until getting back among the winners at Ripon last Wednesday and he went on: 'We are just coming out of the virus, and is nice to see the horses starting to fire again. I know a lot of people have got it and we are just having to scope the horses more and more before they run.'
Apprentice Paul Goode ended his losing run with a winner at Ayr yesterday and quickly added to his score when bringing Bustling Rio with a strong late burst to snatch the Pontefract Cup in the last stride.
He said afterwards: 'I had a good time on the all-weather and then won the apprentice race on the opening day of the turf season at Doncaster but things went quiet and Fiori's win at Ayr was my first for a month. I just hope it keeps going well from now on.'
Both horses are trained by Pat Haslam whose wife Anne explained: 'It's marvellous to see Bustling Rio doing so well, he nearly died as a yearling.
'He had colic very badly and had to be operated on. The key to him is to be fresh.'
Pip Payne waxed lyrical after watching Nisr prevail under Jamie Spencer in another thrilling finish, this time to the De Lacy Classified Stakes.
As he greeted Nisr in the winner's enclosure Payne said with a smile: 'We have passed the longest day and the days are getting shorter, and we had not had a winner before today!
'We have not had much to go with, but we have some very nice two-year-old types which we don't want to rush.'
Dora Carrington is another set for a step up in class after taking the EBF Maiden Fillies Stakes under a typically determined Pat Eddery drive.
She is trained by Peter Harris for his wife Caryl and he said afterwards: 'We do think that she is useful and we will be looking at the top fillies' races now. She will get further.'
Jocko Glasses was a convincing winner of the Snickers Original Workwear Handicap in the hands of Richard Mullen and the three-year-old was certainly not unfancied.
Trainer Chris Wall said: 'We thought he may have a chance today because he worked well recently with Bonaguil who finished fourth at Royal Ascot.'
Clive Brittain and Philip Robinson's good recent form continued when Arabian Moon came out best in the St John's Priory Classified Stakes.
