Fanshawe shines at the seaside

Newmarket handler James Fanshawe appeared to be rounding into form ahead of Royal Ascot next week after landing Yarmouth's feature yesterday with odds on shot Deacon Blues (5/6 fav).

Jamie Spencer cruised to victory at the seaside having just been touched off in the previous renewal on Fanshawe's Via Aurelia (3/1) by hat-trick hunting Collect Art (7/4f). Deacon Blues managed to avoid the early skirmishes before Spencer quickened away nicely two furlongs out.

'We wanted to go out and hopefully give him some confidence,' said Fanshawe. 'He has been third and second this year and the ground was really nice here. We'd had a bit of rain and that is right up his street because he doesn't want it too firm and we got him winning again - which is great.

'I think perhaps last time Andrea (Atzeni) felt he had won the race and something just came out of the pack and caught him. It was no-one's fault but he has been a bit cagey when he gets to the front and today he did it really nicely but I think the important thing with him is that he gets that ease in the ground.'

Fanshawe's well-backed filly Via Aurelia had earlier lost a thrilling joust with Michael Bell's Collect Art on her racecourse re-appearance following a 200-day absence.

Hayley Turner was hard at work on the favourite two out when Spencer ranged alongside but responded gamely in the final strides to complete a three timer following a course and distance success already this month.

'I thought we were never going to see the end of these second and thirds but fortunately Deacon Blues won for us,' said Fanshawe. 'Via Aurelia ran much better and she is another one who likes a bit of juice in the ground and see never had it last year. We went a long, long way away with her and when we declared, the ground would be very much against her, but we had to run.

'She just hates this quick ground but she has taken a bit of time to come to herself and hopefully she can come on for the run. I thought with half a furlong to go we might have got it but Hayley conjured another effort out of her horse and mine got a bit tired but she did very well.'

Miss Kitty Grey (9/4f) franked that recent seaside form to pocket the Great Yarmouth Ladies Night Handicap. Nicky Mackay's charge was second behind Collect Art last time out but the baby of the race had too much gas for her older rivals after campaigning previously over the minimum trip. Richard Whittaker's Bold Diktator (25/1) relished the first time visor to head the chasing pack.

Seb Sanders guided home hotpot Leiba Leiba (4/11f) in the opener before completing a treble aboard market steamer Bonnie Brae (5/1) in the Great Yarmouth Mercury Handicap and Guga (5/2f) in the finale.

Leiba Leiba's racecourse experience told at the business end of the contest in the first race of the day but John Spearing's juvenile Hawk Wing (18/1) ran into an eye-catching place.

'It was a nice solid piece of work,' said Sanders. 'We popped out and tracked one up the fence that was going well so it was just a case of letting him down when I thought best and he got to the line okay. Marco told me this morning he just hadn't quite being seeing the trip out so the plan was to get him to the line here and he has got there well. He is a small, nippy sort of horse and the more racing he does the more he will learn and the better he will be.'

Paul Eddery's King's Sabre (11/2) ended a winning drought in the Pleasurewood Hills Maiden Handicap before claimer Ashley Morgan eased to the apprentices' seller on Mark Tompkins' genuine type Fasette (7/1).