Duty pays off at Sandown

Whitsbury trainer David Elsworth warmed up for Royal Ascot with a winner at Sandown as Duty Paid justified favouritism in the EBF Maiden Fillies` Stakes.

The 6-4 chance got the better of a battle with Riva Royale just inside the final furlong and pushed out by Richard Quinn, went on to score by a length and a half.

Duty Paid may herself be bound for the Royal meeting as Elsworth revealed: 'If she`s all right after this then she could run next Saturday in the new Listed race, the Henry Carnarvon Stakes. We`ll see how she comes out of this.

'She still ran a bit green today and she is a scopey sort of filly rather than a whizz-up sort.'

Elsworth`s possible runners at next week`s meeting include Persian Punch, First Ballot and Indian Creek.

The first two-named run in the same Jeff Smith colours as Duty Paid.

'Punch goes for the Gold Cup and he`s fine while we are going to try First Ballot in the Queen Alexandra Stakes,' said Elsworth.

'The going might be a major concern at the moment but we`ll have to see what the weather does.

'All he does is gallop. If it`s a mile and a half he gallops, if it`s two miles he gallops so I see no reason why he can`t do it over two and three-quarters.

'Indian Creek goes for the Prince of Wales`s Stakes and I`ve got three in the Hunt Cup although I doubt whether they will all get in.

'I`ve got a lovely filly, Rainbow End, who won here last month and she is in the Listed race over a mile and a quarter but I might think about the Queen`s Vase.

'Two miles is a long way but to be honest I don`t really know what her trip is and my gut feeling is that she will stay. Gulf goes for the Queen`s Vase as well.'

John Quinn enjoyed a double on the day but the Malton trainer may have been unlucky not to be going home with his unbeaten record at the track intact.

Carlton and Captain Venti both scored for Quinn but well-backed favourite Morpheous looked unfortunate when just held by Contract in a thrilling finish tothe SBJ Classified Stakes.

Jimmy Fortune got into all sorts of trouble on the runner-up but was making ground hand over fist as the winning line approached, only going down by a head to the enterprisingly-ridden 7-2 winner.

However, despite the misfortunes of the runner-up it was hard to take anything anyway from the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Contract, who showed plenty of guts to hold on in the final strides.

Tim Jones, representing winning owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, said: 'He might now run in the Britannia next week under a penalty if Sir Michael thinks it would be okay.

'I think we`ve beaten quite a good one there. He`s a nice horse who is getting his act together.

'Highclere have also got Highest in the King George V and a nice little filly called Tease in the Henry Carnarvon Stakes next week.

'We also look after the horses for the Royal Ascot Racing Club and three of the five will be running next week as well so we should have a lot of fun.'

Quinn`s first winner Carlton scored by a neck from Sharp Hat in the claimer while Captain Venti justified substantial support to take the Matthew Simmonds Memorial Handicap.

'It was nearly a brilliant day but not quite,' said Quinn, who has now saddled four winners from five runners at the Surrey course.

'I`m not going to blame Jimmy, it was just one of those things. I was just a bread-and-butter jockey and I know how hard it is sometimes.

'Morpheous is owned by Sean Woods and he will eventually go out to Hong Kong to join him but hopefully he can win a couple of races for me first. He is a fine-looking horse with fantastic presence.

'Carlton can`t win off his handicap mark so all we can do is run him in sellers and claimers.

'Captain Venti goes up 12lb on Monday so we had to run him here. Things will be harder next time but he has just come right and that`s why he`s running so well.'

King`s Mill may have earned a trip to Royal Ascot after returning to form in the SBJ Handicap.

Winning trainer Neil Graham said: 'He was running off 108 at one point last year and he is down to 90 now which has given him a chance.

'It`s all down to the ground. I must have entered him more than a dozen times this season but it always comes up fast and he needs cut.

'I`ve missed putting him in at Bessborough (Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes) now but there is a rated stakes over a mile and a quarter on the Friday which he could run in if the ground is right.'