Milestone moment for Powell as St Michel triumphs at Beverley

An impressive winner on the all-weather at Chelmsford last month before finding one too good in testing terrain at Bath, the Sir Mark Prescott-trained three-year-old was a prohibitively priced 8-15 favourite to regain winning ways in the 131st Year Of The Watt Memorial Handicap.

Powell settled the market-leader close to the pace throughout the two-mile contest and he readily pulled clear inside the final two furlongs to score by seven lengths from Arrowtown.

Powell said: “He stayed the two miles and liked that good ground.

“It’s nice to have a winner for Sir Mark. He’s a brilliant boss. I was with him as a kid when I left riding school, then went everywhere, then came back to him.

“I rode out my claim in December and that’s my fifth winner since then, but my 100th winner overall.”

Graham Lee rode his second winner since recovering from a virus aboard the well-fancied Sovereign Bounty (9-2) in the Racing UK In Glorious HD Handicap.

The Grand National-winning jockey was sidelined for several weeks before making a successful comeback at Chester on Saturday and he was once again seen to good effect on the Westwood, producing Sovereign Bounty with a perfectly-timed challenge to get the better of Shamaheart by three-quarters of a length.

Winning trainer Jedd O’Keeffe said: “Graham rides him exceptionally well and it’s good to have him back. Jack (Garritty) has done nothing wrong, though, so we’re lucky to have them both.

“We took him out at the Friday meeting here when they had a thunderstorm and the ground went against him.

“The ground was better this time, but he likes it even faster as well.

“There are no fancy plans – we still don’t really know what his best trip is – but we’d like to come back here as he loves it at Beverley.”

Trainer Ollie Pears has high hopes for Dandy Highwayman after he confirmed debut promise with victory in the Racing UK Maiden Auction Stakes.

The 7-1 shot had finished runner-up on his introduction at Musselburgh last month and went one better with an all-the-way success under apprentice Jacob Butterfield.

“He’s the best two-year-old I’ve had since No Leaf Clover,” said Pears.

“He’s a lovely horse, but he’s not just a two-year-old as he’s got some size.

“He’s good enough to go to York (Ebor meeting), but the longer term plan is the nursery at the Western meeting (Ayr) as he’d easily get six furlongs.”

Bryan Smart’s Compton River was a 7-2 winner of the first division of the Malcolm Greenslade Doncaster LVA Stalwart Memorial Handicap, while Noah Amor (9-2) won the second division for Dandy Nicholls.

The formidable combination of trainer Mark Johnston and jockey Joe Fanning teamed up to land the irishbigracetrends.com Handicap with 11-4 chance Final.

Queen Kindly attempts to resume winnings ways in a small event at Catterick today before having her sights set much higher.

The Richard Fahey-trained filly made a winning debut over this five furlongs last month before trying her hand over six furlongs at Royal Ascot in the Group Three Albany Stakes.

Although she did not win, she was only beaten half a length in third place behind Brave Anna.

Connections want to give Queen Kindly more experience before she steps back up in class and reverts to six furlongs.

The daughter of Frankel could go for the Princess Margaret Juddmonte Stakes at Ascot on July 23 or the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes at York next month.

“It’s just to give her some easy education,” said Bruce Raymond, racing manager to owner Jaber Abdullah.

“We’ll get this race over but I’d say, all being well, she’d go for the either the Princess Margaret or the Lowther next.”

Queen Kindly is likely to be odds-on favourite for the British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes.