Clearing gives Hughes European glory

Richard Hughes gave an impeccable display to engineer a first big race win for his new boss Khalid Abdulla at Newmarket today.

The Irishman demonstrated his acute grasp of timing as he scored on the owner`s Clearing in the Victor Chandler European Free Handicap.

It clinched a double for the owner and jockey after the success of Welcome Friend in the opening race on the card.

Clearing was sent off the 7-4 favourite to make a winning return to action against nine rivals in the seven-furlong handicap.

Hughes coolly bided his time before pouncing late on to deny Palace Affair by a neck.

'I was trying to get him on the tractor marks where the ground was a little faster,' said the jockey.

'He didn`t want to do that and it was only near the finish that he really got on top. He needs further and won`t be running over this distance again.'

Clearing, the winner of the Horris Hill Stakes at the end of last season, was providing his trainer John Gosden with his third victory from just four runners in the Free Handicap.

The winner now varies at between 16-1 and 25-1 for the 2000 Guineas but has the option of going for the French version.

'If the ground was on the soft side I certainly wouldn`t mind going to France,' said Gosden.

'This horse wants a stiff mile and the distance was really too sharp for him today.'

Looking further ahead Clearing is a possible for the Dante Stakes at York next month.

Pat Eddery and Right Wing - the oldest jockey and oldest horse in the race - outpointed their younger rivals in the Weatherbys Earl Of Sefton Stakes.

Richard Hills attempted to steal the Group Three race from the front on Albarahin, setting a modest gallop and gradually winding up the pace in the final half-mile.

Most of his rivals were caught flat-footed but Right Wing showed a good turn of speed when a gap appeared two furlongs out, challenged the leader at the furlong pole and got on top close

home for a length and a quarter win.

'He is seven but he still getting better,' Eddery said of the winner.

'He used to stop when he got to the front but now he goes straight to the line and you can`t get by him.'

Right Wing, trained by John Dunlop, was gaining the 10th win of his career and taking his career earnings past stg#230,000.

Pat Eddery and John Dunlop clinched a 20-1 double following Right Wing`s Sefton Stakes success when Dandoun, the 2-1 favourite for the Federation of Bloodstock Agents Wood Ditton Stakes, justified his place in the market by beating Potemkin by a neck.

Nowell House, the courageous winner of the Babraham Handicap, was bookmaker Bernard Bargh`s 34th winner as an owner, and the gelding did him proud when getting the better of Give Notice in a last furlong by a neck.