Palace Affair comes home in front

Smart sprinter Palace Affair took her career earnings past Stg#100,000 with a repeat victory in the Stanley Racing Summer Stakes at York today.

Her second Listed success in six days completed a memorable week for the family, as her younger half-brother Marker also made a winning debut at Windsor last Monday.

But with the ground drying out on the Knavesmire the mare had to work much harder than when scoring comfortably on a soft surface at Sandown last Saturday - and when taking this six-furlong contest 12 months ago.

Stephen Carson had to be at his strongest to ensure Palace Affair got the better of a final-furlong duel with Lipstick, eventually justifying 5-4 favouritism by a neck.

'Two furlongs out I didn`t think I was going to win,' the jockey admitted. 'But she changed her legs a furlong or a furlong and a half out and she really picked up well and stuck her neck out.

'She just got away with the ground. On soft they don`t go so quick but today I was struggling from the gate.'

Carson`s efforts earned him a two-day ban (July 21-22) for using his whip with excessive frequency and without giving his mount time to respond.

But the first prize of Stg#18,769 took Palace Affair`s earnings in a 17-race career, during which she has won six times and been placed on a further four occasions, to over Stg#108,000.

And Carson said: 'I have now won four Listed races and a maiden on her and she has been a great servant to her trainer Toby Balding and the owner Bridget Swire. I am grateful they let me ride her.'

By contrast, the ex-French gelding Bourgeois has scarcely earned his keep since he was bought out of Criquette Head`s stable for 56,000 guineas by Tim Easterby at the Newmarket Autumn Sales in 2000.

But he finally came good in the Stg#18,000-added John West Tuna Stakes, quickening well from rear to beat Dancing Phantom by a length and a quarter.

'We bought him off Khaled Abdulla to go jumping,' Easterby said. 'But when he ran twice at Doncaster and Ripon and was tailed off both times he looked very expensive.

'He has had all sorts of problems and it has taken us two years to get him right.

'But he has come right eventually and we might try to win a good handicap on the Flat with him now - he will run in the Ebor if he is right.'

Easterby`s Tedstale just got the worst of a tight three-way finish to the Cuisine de France Rated Stakes, in which Calucutta beat Muchea by a short head for Barry Hills.

Apprentice Darren Williams had an uncomfortable time when his saddle slipped on Vita Spericolata in Palace Affair`s race but he had started the day on a happier note by taking the Mr Kipling Exceedingly Good Stakes on Tommy Smith.

Though his mount had been well beaten at Newmarket just two days previously he left that form well behind to spring a 16-1 surprise, making all and holding off Paddywack by two lengths despite hanging all the way across the course.

Reflecting on Wednesday`s disappointing effort, Bridlington-based owner Tommy Heseltine said: 'We should have pulled him out at Newmarket as it was saturated and he hates soft ground. And he missed the break too.

'It has always been my ambition to have a winner at York so this is great.'