Enborne sparkles in the rain

David Barker has never been afraid to back his judgement with a tilt at the ring and he celebrated in the rain when Enborne gave him his biggest Flat success in the Tennent Caledonian Breweries Trophy at Ayr yesterday.

The Richmond trainer made his first shrewd move when snapping up the four-year-old for only 2,500 guineas, and he recalled: "He won a bumper at Newcastle first time out for us. We backed him that day and we moved him from 8-1 to 11-2 today, so you could say we fancied him."

Ollie Pears is a hard-working jockey who deserves more opportunities and was seen to good effect as he brought Pegasus Star home a comfortable winner of the 'Unbeatable Offer' at Ayr Novice Auction Stakes. Milton Bradley had not enjoyed the best of luck at the meeting until Eastern Trumpeter came along and won the five-furlong handicap in decisive fashion under Chris Rutter. Manful, who is stabled just across the road, sent the locals home happy when defying top weight in the Melville Craig Handicap in the hands of Neil Kennedy. At Ascot, the fact that yesterday's card was plain old Ascot Heath instead of the Royal Meeting, mattered little to Lydia Richards, who saddled Brilliant Red to win the #40,000-guaranteed Ladbrokes Stakes (Showcase Handicap). Pat Eddery pushed the son of Royal Academy to the front with over a furlong of the mile and a quarter remaining, and the pair fended off the late run of Punishment by three-quarters of a length, with one and a half to the pacemaking Flag Fen. Considering the events of this afternoon down the road at Windsor it was apt that the Queen's colours should show prominently and Holly Blue stepped up from an easy victory at Bath last Saturday to land the opening London Clubs Fern Hill Rated Stakes, just getting the better of a tussle with Ma-Arif, on whom Richard Hills was banned for two days for careless riding, by a head. Holly Blue's jockey Richard Hughes also received a two-day suspension for using his stick above shoulder height and striking his mount down he shoulder with the whip in the forehand position. John Egan received the same punishment for exercising his whip with excessive frequency on Pips Magic, who justified support from 14-1 to 8's in the Palan Stakes (Handicap), Glasgow trainer Jim Goldie's first success at the course. Flaming Quest started the 1-2 favourite for the Milcars New Stakes but got the worse of a tactical battle with Zarfoot. As Frankie Dettori brought Zarfoot to tackle Helvetius over a furlong out, Gary Stevens was trapped against the far rail on the market leader, and by the time he managed to escape, second was the best he could hope for, denying Helvetius by a neck for silver but still three and a half lengths down on the winner. With two furlongs of the De Boer EBF Triumvirated Classified '95' Stakes to race, it looked as though a similar fate to Stevens could befall Richard Mullen on 11-4 favourite Hoh Steamer. But Michael Bell's 3lb claimer kept a cool head and grasped his opportunity at the furlong pole, bringing the grey home by a length and a quarter from Sergeant York. Richard Hannon, who won the Jersey and Cork and Orrery Stakes at the Royal fixture, saddled the first two in the Brunswick Novice Fillies' Stakes as Red Letter and Dane O'Neill foiled Lady Sarka and Paul Dobbs by a neck. Trainer cashes in on Ayr triumph as Queen's horse takes the honours at Ascot

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