Xpres Maite wins Pontins Handicap at Wolverhampton
Xpres Maite provided Roy Bowring with a first taste of success for 233 days with a clear-cut victory in the Catch Captain Croc @ Pontins Handicap at Wolverhampton.
A first-time visor reignited the Phillip Makin-ridden 9-1 chance who took the initiative rounding the home bend and forged clear to the take the seven-furlong contest by three lengths from Unlimited.
Bowring said: "The horse can do it, as you have seen, but it is difficult to get him to do it.
"We have tried all sorts including blinkers, and the first-time visor seems to have worked.
"This is my first winner for a while now and we are down to about 20 horses these days, but that is enough."
A drop down to the lowest level helped Polish Prize open his account at the eighth time of asking in the Ladbrokes Serious About Business Classified Stakes.
Walter Swinburn's four-year-old had finished no better than sixth on his previous outings but charged down the stands rail away from the main body of runners to collect by a half-length from the 9-4 favourite Kingsmaite.
Swinburn said of the 12-1 winner: "There were two bits of form and if he reproduced either one of those then he would have been in with a chance.
"He has been keen and tripless but we got away with it at this level."
