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Stars digs deep

10/3 joint-favourite Align The Stars showed great tenacity to fend off fellow market leader Fairbanks and win the Coral Summer Handicap.

The winner set out to make all under Joe Fanning but looked in trouble as the strong-travelling runner-up and Mr Freedom applied pressure going into the final furlong.

But with the rail to race against, Charlie Johnston's charge battled on well to regain the lead and go on to score by neck.

Great Bedwyn (14/1) and the veteran Euchen Glen (12/1) were late closers in third and fourth.

Sky Bet, Betfair and Paddy Power cut the winner to 20/1 from 25s for the Betfred St Leger.

Johnston said: "It was good but it certainly wasn't plan A and they aren't tactics we'll look to replicate again. He's huge, for a start, and quite literally he barely fits in the stalls. If you look back at his races at the start of the year he was really struggling with the first 50 yards to get out and get into stride, and as a result he was always finding himself in pretty difficult positions. That definitely cost him races at York and Hamilton.

"He's got better in that regard but Joe still has to be very aggressive with that first 50yards to get a good position. It wasn't the plan to be making the running and it was only when horses actually came to him and didn't get away from him that I knew he was going to come back strong and so he did.

"I was quite prepared to run him in the Gordon if it was the only option available to us but I think a mile-and-a-half on this ground would have been too sharp a test for him so when there was the option to run over a mile-and-six on this ground we felt we could away with it.

"He's quite happy with some cut in the ground but he's able to manage with quicker conditions over this distance. Owner Tony Farmer has always dreamed of York and if you had asked us at every stage this season, the Melrose was probably the pinnacle for this horse this year but he's probably gone beyond that race now.

"He's in the Voltigeur, the Lonsdale and he's in the St Leger. It's going to require another fair step up to be competitive at that level but I have enough faith in the horse that it's a realistic aim. He still hasn't raced over a relentless mile and six and I think stamina is what is going to bring this horse to the next level."

The winning rider said: " To be honest, I think he's improving every run. He was getting beat earlier in the year but he was slowly away, we ran him at Hamilton which probably didn't suit him.

"I think now he's starting to grow up a bit and he's getting better each race. I think he will stay further and keep on improving. It's hard to know the gauge of him because he just seems to do it enough. Every time Oisin came to me on the second he just found a little bit more."

Andrew Balding said of Fairbanks: "He’s run a terrific race, obviously giving a lump of weight for age to the winner, who looks like he’s an improving horse. I’m very pleased with the run, and hopefully he might get in the Ebor, because it would suit him well. Relentless Voyager [second in the Coral Glorious Stakes] will go for the Ebor, for sure. He definitely gets a run, as long as they are both alright, and hopefully this horse gets in as well."

Headgear works oracle for Witness

First-time cheekpieces worked the oracle for Witness Stand who sprang a 40/1 surprise in the Whispering Angel Handicap.

It was a dominant dispay too from Tom Clover's charge who Kieran Shoemark kicked into the lead two furlongs out and he was never in danger from that point on.

Pix Nair (9/1) came through late for second, three lengths adrift of the winner with Cuban Tiger (6/1) a short-head away in third.

Clover said: "He’s been second in three of his last five starts coming into here, so he’s run some very good races behind good horses, and it all worked for him today. He wasn’t right that day at Chester last time - there were a few Newmarket horses a bit in and out of form, and he was clearly better than that run. He worked well last week and I thought he was a big price today.”

Shoemark added: " I think the headgear was an additional help. He’s been a little bit quirky - he’s got some good form as a two-year-old, and he’s been highly consistent, really, and he’s quite highly rated.

"I think everything just went quite smoothly. He went down really relaxed, and he can have his moments in the stalls, and he had Jake Launchbury down there - he works alongside Craig Witheford, and they seem to manage him very well and he was very relaxed.

"He was electric from the gates, so everything went to plan and we were able to get a lovely lead from Clifford Lee and I was able to commit when I felt it was right. I was pleased throughout and quietly confident. But he filled up with me, and he’s a talented animal. He possibly wants a mile - it wasn’t as though I needed the line at all today, and I thought he went hard enough, so he’ll stay a mile in the future.”

Dead-heat drama in maiden

There was a dramatic finish to the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes with Hott Shott (5/1) joining Spell Master (4/1) on the line to force a dead-heat.

The latter looked to have the prize in safe-keeping for Oisin Murphy and Andrew Balding but Rossa Ryan aboard Richard Hughes' charge had other ideas, conjuring the crucial late charge.

2/1 favourite Consolidation was a length away in third.

Hughes said: "It wasn't easy to watch. I thought he was beat. He stuck his head out and a stride after the line he was a neck in front.

"I was trying to make him into a Chesham horse but when he walked into he paddock at Kempton on his debut I truly believed that I had gone a month too soon. He looked a bit tall and there was a lot of daylight under him so we've given him loads of time since and this has been his target for a long time.

"He's one of my best but that doesn't mean much. We don't have that many. He's been a very nice horse from the start and he's got a great attitude. He loves fast ground.

"Rossa said they initially went a good gallop but the pace collapsed turning for home and those two horses kicked in front of him with two runs under their belt so it took him a bit of time to get going."

The other winning trainer said of Spell Master: "I’m relieved he didn’t come second like the others have today! He’s a grand horse who’s improving with every run and should keep progressing. Kamekos are very similar and seem to thrive on their racing and try very hard.”

Murphy said: "I felt I may have hung on but I'm not great at judging those photo finishes, I'm normally concentrating on just getting to the line first. I actually rode Hott Shott on Tuesday morning so I'm delighted for Richard, he pinpointed this race a while ago and when I couldn't ride him it was nice that we both got a good result.

"They are two horses for the future and it's another winner for Kameko with Spell Master. He's actually a very similar type to his sire, he's not going to be at the same level but it's great for Kameko."

Ryan doubles up in finale

The Coral We’re Here For It Handicap brought the meeting to a close and it was 8/1 shot Paradias who emerged victorious.

Completing a double on the day for Rossa Ryan, Alan King’s 8/1 shot came home strongly to beat 7/4 favourite Native Warrior by a neck.

Ryan said: “It took a fair effort to do that with 10st 2lb, especially after being slowly away. If he didn’t run in the John Smith’s Cup when the ground went against him, he’d have been bang up in the market. He’s a good, honest character and it was good to see him do that.”

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