Set The Trend may have booked himself a couple of European jaunts by claiming an all-the-way win in the West Sussex County Times On House Stakes at Goodwood.
Andrew Balding’s five-year-old impressed when winning an Ascot handicap last year and his close-up comeback fourth at Doncaster suggested he possessed the requisite talent to strike at Listed level.
Soon in front in the hands of Jimmy Fortune, Set The Trend bowled along merrily for much of the one-mile contest, and turned on the taps rounding the approach for home.
His rivals were soon hard at work in behind, but could not reel in Set The Trend, who passed the post with a length and a quarter in hand.
The Rectifier filled the runner-up spot, while Group One-placed filly and hot favourite Rainfall ran terribly on her Godolphin debut, coming home last of the six runners.
Graham Skeats, racing manager for winning owners Corbett Stud, said: “We’re delighted with that and we’ve always known he was a capable horse. He’s just very, very fragile.
“As a result of that he’s very lightly raced and we’ve got to take our time in between runs.
“He’s had more fractures than you can shake a stick at.
“He ran well at Doncaster last time considering he was quite gassy and ran with a choke out a little bit.
“He was much more relaxed today and Jimmy has got the tactics spot-on, so all credit to him and credit to Andrew for managing his well being.
“We’ll obviously just have to see how he is, but I think we’re going to Europe with him with a bit of luck.
“There’s a race in Hamburg in June and there’s a race in Dusseldorf in July. At the moment those would be on the agenda, but he will tell us.
“He’s not straightforward, but capable nevertheless.”
Sir Glanton (40-1) edged a pulsating three-way fight for victory in the Worthing Herald Maiden Auction Stakes.
Lethal Force was backed into 11-8 favouritism off the back of a debut second at Ascot and quickened up to win his race heading inside the final furlong.
But the patiently-ridden Sir Glanton, trained by Amanda Perrett and ridden by Pat Dobbs, showed a smart change of gear when it mattered to get up by a short head.
Minal finished between the pair, and passed the post just a short head away in third, but the stewards later adjudged Lethal Force had caused interference and promoted Minal to the runner-up spot.
Perrett said: “We thought that he might just need the experience but they went a good clip and came back to him a bit. It was very exciting.
“He’s had quite a hard race today so we’ll just see how he comes out of it, but something back here for the Glorious meeting would probably be on the agenda.”
The judge was unable to split Another Try (8-1) and Alfresco (10-1) in a thrilling finish to the News Veterans’ Handicap.
The Alan Jarvis-trained Another Try held a narrow advantage, but John Best’s dual course and distance winner Alfresco benefited from a power-packed Kieren Fallon ride and joined him on the line.
Jarvis said: “He’s very genuine and always tries very hard. Harry (Bentley, jockey) gets on with him very well.
“We’ll see how he comes out of the race, but he’s entered at Lingfield on Saturday and he could go there if he’s all right.”
Richard Hughes and 9-2 shot Byrd In Hand comfortably claimed division one of the Bognor Regis Observer Handicap, quickening up without being asked for maximum effort to beat Catchanova by three-quarters of a length.
Winning trainer John Bridger said: “That was smashing. He’s still a big baby and he’s just needed a lot of time.
“He’s been showing a bit of form and he deserved a win really as he’d been running well recently. The penny has just dropped.
“It’s lovely to win a race at Goodwood and he’ll probably come back here again.”
Division two went to Stan Moore’s 5-1 chance Wishformore, while The Dancing Lord (5-2 joint-favourite) took the Chichester Observer Selling Stakes for Bill Turner.The closing West Sussex Gazette Handicap went to Robby Bobby (6-1).