Arrow hits the mark at Sandown

Border Arrow landed his first win at Group race level when settling a score with Sandown Park on Tuesday evening.

Ian Balding`s hardy six-year-old, who was gelded over the winter, won the Credit Suisse First Boston Brigadier Gerard Stakes 12 months after his trainer contends he was robbed of victory in the Group Three race when slipping on the home turn.

And he had the perfect ally in Frankie Dettori, who was alive to the trail-blazing tactics of Kevin Darley on Zindabad, and sat in second spot, while Kieren Fallon held up hot favourite, Adilabad, last of the field of five.

Dettori launched Border Arrow, who was wearing a visor for the first time in public, beyond Zindabad entering the final quarter-mile and readily held Compton Bolter at bay in the last furlong to score by two lengths.

Adilabad could never land a blow, staying on to finish third, another two and a half lengths adrift.

'He`s deserved it,' said Balding. 'He`s been placed in plenty of Group races and never won one until now. I think he would have won this last year had he not slipped on the bend.'

Balding, who may now return Border Arrow to Group One company in the Prince Of Wales`s Stakes, added: 'Since he`s been gelded he`s been that bit easier to train. But he`s always been a very good horse. And I think the visor has just made him an easier ride. We have to put it on at home to make him do any work.'

Clive Brittain`s filly Shiny scored a poignant victory in the Credit Suisse First Boston National Stakes, the most prestigious two-year-old race run so far this season.

Philip Robinson weaved between horses one furlong out to head Maktavish 100 yards out and score by three-quarters of a length.

Shiny was bred and is owned by Brittain`s wife, Maureen, and is a true home-bred being by one stable favourite, Shambo, out of another, Abuzz.

Abuzz died, aged 17, three weeks ago when foaling to Mtoto.

'She gave birth, got up and then haemorrhaged and went straight down. But the filly foal is 100 per cent,' said Brittain, who had earlier sent out Shiny`s year-older full sister Shush to finish fourth in the second race.

'She`d been a star for us. We bought her dam for four grand.'

Brittain intends to run Shiny at Royal Ascot next month, and is contemplating another clash with the colts in the Coventry Stakes.

'The interesting thing is that she`ll get a lot farther, and she`s got natural speed,' he added.

'She`ll go to Ascot one way or the other. She`s a really exciting filly who we have thought a lot of for quite a long time.'

Runner-up Maktavish, who was conceding the winner 8lb, could also have earned a trip to Ascot, with trainer Rod Millman considering the Norfolk Stakes.

'You can`t complain, finishing second in a Listed race and he was giving the winner a lot of weight,' observed Millman.

Robinson completed a 54-1 double when teaming up with Michael Jarvis to take the Credit Suisse Private Banking Handicap on top weight, Hambleden.

Fallon had missed his rides in the opening two races, having been delayed in traffic en-route from Leicester.

Fellow rider Shane Kelly, who was travelling with Fallon, was also forced to give up his mount in the second race.

Fallon`s intended partner in the opening Credit Suisse First Boston Handicap, the favourite, Parker, gave substitute Tony McGlone a nasty moment when colliding with the running rail approaching the final furlong.

Parker had hit the front well over two furlongs out in the centre of the course but then edged continually to his left. Bryn Palling`s horse was coming under pressure from the winner when hitting the rail and McGlone did well to maintain the partnership as the horse sprawled.

Parker lost all chance and was eased down, finishing 14th of the 18 runners.