Borders back with a bang

Henry Candy pulled off a fine piece of training to produce Borders fit and ready after a 587-day absence to take the honours in a desperate finish of the NetBetSports.Com Conditions Stakes at Beverley today.

Borders barely gets the five furlongs, but helped by being drawn against the far rails burst quickly out of the stalls and made the rest of the running, Chris Rutter keeping him going just long enough to hold off the strong-finishing Vita Spericolata by a head.

The five-year-old had last been seen on a racecourse when third in a Listed race at Dortmund in October 1999, and Candy explained: 'He has had stress fractures in his quarters and a problem in a hind joint - it has taken a lot of rest and a lot of injections to get him right.

'The thing now is to keep him and his half-brother Kyllachy apart and he will probably run in the Achilles (Listed race) over five furlongs at Kempton on May 26.'

Borders was bred by his owner Anne Wright who explained: 'All but one of the foals we have had out of the mare Pretty Poppy have won, the only one which hasn`t is My Poppet, who fractured a pelvis.'

Vita Spericolata`s trainer John Wainwright had earlier opened his account for the season when Beyond The Clouds showed the way home under Robert Winston in the NetBetSports.Com Handicap.

The Malton trainer reasoned: 'They are just starting to come now. He has always been a good horse and gets better with age. He will probably go to Windsor in two weeks` time now, he holds the five-furlong course record there.'

Good apprentice Joanna Badger made the most of her first ride for the Pat Haslam stable when she kept Turned Out Well going in good style to hold off the strong challenge of Running Times in the NetBetSports.Com Internet Handicap.

Haslam was not present as he was going to Thirsk to supervise his runners there, but he watched the race on television and said later: 'Joanna gave the horse a good ride, I was pleased with her. He may run under a penalty at Southwell on Monday and Joanna will probably ride him again.'

Jamie Osborne sent out his second winner on the course when Michael Fenton brought Trusted Mole home in the two and a half lengths winner of the NetBetSports.Com Selling Stakes.

But there was a sting in the sail for the Upper Lambourn trainer, who has a one-third share in the gelding, as he had to go to 7,200 guineas to retain him at the ensuing auction after which he said with a wry smile: 'That has taken the shine off it a bit.'

Kevin Ryan was full of praise for Pauline Robson after watching her score on Bacchus in the La Femme Lady Amateur Riders` Handicap and he added: 'I told her to sit and wait as they go far too quick in these races and she gave him a good ride.'