Border Charges To Stewards' Glory

Wetherby trainer Robin Bastiman had just cause for celebration when he landed the biggest success of his 35-year career with Borderlescott in the £100,000 Vodafone Stewards' Cup at Glorious Goodwood.

The winner was gaining a richly-deserved big-race victory having finished fourth in the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot and a head-second to Osterhase in a Listed race at Fairyhouse on his last two starts.

Royston Ffrench had ridden the gelding on those occasions and was back on board again.

He gave the easy to back 10-1 shot a copybook ride to hit the front well inside the final furlong on the far side, having enough in reserve to hold the late charge of Mutamared (12-1) by a neck, with the gambled-on 5-1 favourite Firenze the same distance back in third.

Excusez Moi (12-1) was fourth in a race in which seventh-placed Woodcote was the first home out of those drawn low.

'It's the best day of my life,' said a breathless Bastiman on greeting his bargain-buy.

'This is my best day as a trainer. I've only got 14 horses but this might do me a bit of good.

'I didn't know whether to run him in Ireland and he had a hard race there but he's freshened up well. I'm a believer in running horses when they are right.

'I was glad to be drawn with the fancied ones because the far side is the place to be.

'Everything went well, Royston produced him just when we wanted him to ? near the finish.

'I bought him as a yearling for 13,000 guineas at Doncaster because he was such a good walker.

'It would be nice to go to the Ayr Gold Cup with the owners being Scottish but the handicapper might have something to say. On the other hand he only just won.'

David Nicholls found himself in the last-chance saloon as he went into the final two races of the week winnerless at the meeting.

To leave his favourite fixture without the successes which are part and parcel of his operation would have been almost unthinkable ? and the Thirsk trainer duly responded by notching a double through Northern Fling and Lucayan Dancer.

Nicholls' son Adrian teamed up with Northern Fling (7-1) in the Vodafone Nursery Stakes and the combination arrived late on the scene to outpoint Oi Vay Joe by a length and a quarter.

Afterwards it was a relieved trainer who said: 'I was getting a bit scared about leaving here empty handed, especially when our banker Buachaill Dona was beaten on Friday.

'But Northern Fling never got a run at Kempton and was probably a winner without a penalty.'

Nicholls had high hopes of landing the Vodafone Apprentice Stakes (Handicap) with Lucayan Dancer, who had delighted him when finishing fifth behind Crosspeace over a slightly longer trip on Tuesday.

The gelding had shown a liking for the course when finishing third in the same contest 12 months ago, when rider Vicky Behan was also in the saddle.

A furlong and a half out it looked as if the 11-2 chance would score with something to spare but Adam Kirby produced such a rattle out of Diktatorial that there was only a short head in it at the line.

Nicholls was beaming from ear to ear as he welcomed back his winner, saying: 'I really fancied him and when he ran earlier in the week I probably gave the lad who rode him the wrong instructions.

'He's done us proud this afternoon.'

Mark Johnston's policy of running some of his horses more than once at the five-day fixture paid off for the second time when Prince of Light made all in the Vodafone Thoroughbred Stakes, holding the persistent Metropolitan Man by three-quarters of a length under Joe Fanning.

Johnston put forward the view that his 9-2 winner might well have needed the outing when finishing out of the money behind Iffraaj in the Betfair Cup.

Jimmy Fortune made Frankie Dettori fight for his honour of top jockey at the meeting and briefly drew level with the Italian when steering Numeric (8-1) to a neck and half-length verdict over New Guinea and Beau Nash in the Vodafone Handicap.

Clive Cox was out of luck when Dunelight finished second in the Totesport Mile and Woodcote won his race on the stands side only to finish out of the money in the Stewards' Cup.

However, compensation awaited the Hungerford trainer when Kilburn (25-1) manoeuvred from his wide draw to the rail and remained in front in the seven-furlong Vodafone European Breeders Fund Maiden Stakes before holding Mariotto and the odds-on Red Rock Canyon by half a length and one and a half lengths.

Cox was full of praise for winning rider Philip Robinson and said: 'That was a masterful ride to get the horse across. We were very worried when we saw the draw and decided to bite the bullet and commit him.'

? PA Sport