Clearance gets up in final furlong to take Musselburgh handicap

Clearance was a cosy winner of the longest race on the card at Musselburgh under a clever ride from Graham Lee.

Held up in last place, the 3-1 second favourite was switched around a wall of horses entering the final furlong before pipping Kensington Art by half a length in the Up And Running On Racing TV Handicap.

Winning trainer Iain Jardine said: “That’s the way to ride him as he only has one finishing kick. He stays two miles well and hopefully he won’t go up much for this win.

“He’s more than paid his way as he only cost £10,000 after winning a selling hurdle at Stratford last August. I was impressed seeing him on tv and I rang up the course to bid for him.

“He was actually bought to go hurdling but he’s done really well on the Flat. He was second at Kelso and also won for us on the Flat for us at Ripon and Ayr last year.”

Jardine completed a 14-1 double when 11-4 favourite Flood Defence was another to follow up a recent course and distance success at the East Lothian, in her case in the Bet At racingtv.com Handicap.

Keith Dalgleish sprang a surprise in the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Auction Stakes when his 12-1 chance Broxi made all under Shane Gray.

“He was very tough in front as we fought off a few challengers up the home straight,” Gray said. “He’s a decent-sized horse who is improving all the time and he should stay further.”

Gowanbuster again impressed over course and distance when following up last month’s strike in the Join Racing TV Now Handicap. Ridden once again by Paul Mulrennan, he made every yard of the running.

Winning trainer Susan Corbett, based at Otterburn in Northumberland, said: “I’m not sure where we will go after this but I guess we will wait and see what the handicapper does.”

At Newmarket today, Golden Horde can emulate sire Lethal Force and win the Darley July Cup for trainer Clive Cox.

The three-year-old got his first victory at the top level in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot with an emphatic performance that gave a 
stark warning to sprinters of all ages that he is a force to be reckoned with.

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