Malthouse strikes as Ascot
Mark Johnston's Malthouse made an impressive winning debut with a near three-length triumph in the EBF GL Events Owen Brown Crocker Bulteel Maiden Stakes at Ascot today.
Carrying the increasingly familiar green colours of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, the Green Desert colt poured on the pressure under Richard Hills in the final furlong to oblige at odds of 7-2.
Johnston said: "My two-year-olds have been slow to come to hand so I wasn't sure what to expect but he is a nice horse.
"I haven't really sorted a pecking order for the juveniles yet so there is no immediate plan."
Hills completed a double in the TurfTV Maiden Fillies' Stakes as Ishraaqat got off the mark at the third time of asking when obliging as the 2-1 favourite.
The Singspiel filly had come forward after both of her previous outings and she showed a pleasing attitude to get the better of Sennockian Storm by three-quarters of a length.
Winning trainer Marcus Tregoning said: "She has had awful trouble with her feet and they do say no feet, no horse.
"She has done very well today as she lost a shoe during the race.
"We will step her up to a mile and a quarter, which will certainly help, and she does like top of the ground."
Channel 4 commentator Simon Holt enjoyed his first winner as an owner when Slip Sliding Away (8-1) won at Goodwood last month and the three-year-old followed up in the TurfTV Handicap.
Holt, who also bred the winner, has been a long-standing owner without experiencing any highs until of late.
But the good times are now coming thick and fast with Peter Hedger's Whipper gelding sliding past Dungannon to collect by half a length.
Holt said: "I have had shares in 20 or 30 horses over the last 20 years but until he won at Goodwood I had never had a winner in this country.
"It was unexpected when he won last time and I didn't expect him to win today either as I thought the ground would be too fast.
"Peter thinks he will be even better at seven furlongs and it would be nice to get a third win from him."
Holt's jockey John Fahy registered a near 40-1 double as he struck aboard the improving Pendragon in the Sodexo Prestige Handicap.
Brian Ellison's seven-year-old narrowly failed to land the Cumberland Plate a month ago but has now won both of his subsequent starts and the 7-2 chance crossed the line with a length and a half in hand.
Fahy said: "He travelled so easily and I always thought he was going to win.
"He dropped the bit over three furlongs out but kept his position and I had to just keep squeezing him along."
