Newbury review and free replays | Leading Dancer lands Radley Stakes

Leading Dancer (13/8) made a successful step up to Listed company in the D&H Racing Stakes (registered as the Radley Stakes) over seven furlongs.

A promising 20/1 third on debut, Leading Dancer opened her account in facile fashion at Newcastle last month but had to dig deep to see off the once-raced winner Caim as the pair pulled clear.

Caim went down on her sword but Leading Dancer always looked like prevailing and did so by half a length; there was another length and a half back to Ourbren in third.

Leading Dancer was ridden by William Buick and trained by Karl Burke who told Sky Sports Racing: "I think she's a very good filly, I think she'll develop through the winter and next year will be her year.

"I think she's won despite the ground, she's got a lot of growing to do and that's a great result to win a Listed race with a filly like her that you know is going to improve physically. I'd say a mile is within her compass next year. She's learned a lot and William said he was glad he got a bit of cover early because she was on it but she got in a nice rhythm after a furlong or two."

William Haggas introduced a smart-looking newcomer in division one of the fillies' novice as the expensively bought My Ophelia (evens favourite) justified market confidence in style, beating stablemate Earth Shot by a ready two lengths under Tom Marquand.

A 1,700,000 gns purchase by Wootton Bassett out of the good racemare My Titania, My Ophelia looks to have a bright future although Maureen Haggas wasn't getting carried away in the post-race debrief.

"She's done nothing wrong today and she looks a nice horse. She's obviously bred to be nice, bred by Mrs Tsui out of her very good mare and we've had a lot of the family and we've been lucky with them. For her to come out and do that today, they paid a few quid for her, so it all helps if she looks like she can go a bit.

"He couldn't pull her up; you'd probably start at a mile next year and see but she's still a little bit raw, she needs a little bit more practice yet. I'm pleased, we're all looking for good horses and hopefully she'll turn into one.

"I thought the second ran really well as well, she was really green and once the penny dropped she finished really well so, hopefully, two nice fillies to go to war with next year."

A La Prochaine (4/1) was an equally impressive winner of division two as Ralph Beckett followed Haggas in saddling the first two home although, back in third, the Newmarket handler's Hoseki finished with an eyecatching flourish.

Owned by Wathnan Racing and ridden by their retained rider James Doyle, A La Prochaine burst clear of her rivals in taking style but appeared to idle a little in front, allowing Gone By (another debutante) to close to within a length and a half.

The pair put three and a half lengths on their nearest pursuer, Hoseki, who was, in turn, clear of the remainder.

Beckett said: "She's a filly we wanted to hold onto rather than press on with and I thought today she might be a little overawed by the whole experience but clearly not, I was very pleased.

"It would be lovely if she was [an Oaks filly]. This maiden has been very good to me, Secret Gesture [Oaks runner-up] won it, so hopefully she'll progress in that direction.

"The race planning department in their wisdom have taken all the maidens and novices away from Nottingham so we had to go somewhere else.

"We didn't do very much with her to get her here in terms of finding out how good she was and we like the second.

"It's been a tricky year, it's been patchy and we haven't got in a rhythm quite the way I hoped we would but every year is different and we're finishing well."

There was a four-way go for the finish in the Hazell & Jefferies Nursery with Lebron Power (9/1) edging out Better And Better, Gorey Gold and Proof by a head, a nose and half-a-length.

The winner was trained by Richard Hannon and ridden by Sean Levey who said: "Hugely gutsy performance. Top-weight.

"We thought she lacked the stamina for six furlongs, her win last time was at Sandown over five; just grit, determination, she's been able to keep one step ahead of the handicapper."

There was no such drama for backers of Lemos Souza's Alpine Stroll (9/1) in the Grundon Amateur Jockeys' Handicap despite his lead being closed right down in the final yards as he had the race in safe-keeping a long way out in the hands of promising young amateur Henry Callan.

Atherstone Warrior (10/3) and Northwest Passage pulled a long way clear of their rivals in the closing Tony Penny 50th Birthday Handicap but there only ever looked like being one winner as Atherstone Warrior ran all the way to the line for Callum Rodrigeuz, taking the ride for trainers Gary and Josh Moore.

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