Sweet moment for Dods in Lincoln

Trainer Michel Dods’s concerns that the six-year-old might need a break after running in Dubai proved unfounded as he gave jockey Johnny Murtagh his second successive win in the mile cavalry charge,

Murtagh had his mount settled nicely from stall 16 and Sweet Lightning (16-1) swept clear to score by two and a half lengths from Brae Hill (22-1).

Dods said: “I was going to give him a break after Dubai, but Andrew (Tinkler, owner) wanted to run here and he was proved right and he’s done it really nicely.

“We dropped him in trip, but he seems to have thrived on it and he’s won cosily in the end.

“I don’t know if I’ll give him a break now, I’ll probably keep him going. We’ll sit down and have a look. The obvious thing would be to look at a Listed race now.

“He’s a fit horse, but he does need a few weeks between his races.”

Jimmy Styles (22-1) also made race fitness from Dubai count when coming with a late burst to land the williamhill.com Cammidge Trophy.

Adam Kirby brought the 2009 Ayr Gold Cup winner with a powerful run down the centre of the track to beat Iver Bridge Lad by a length and a quarter.

“I was a bit concerned when I walked the track but he’s done it really well. Adam got him into a settled rhythm which is very important to him,” said trainer Clive Cox.

“We’ll see about the Craven meeting at Newmarket for him. In yesteryear you would give them a break if they had been to Dubai, but now he’s won like that we’ll see how he comes out of the race.”

Roger Varian made the perfect start to his training career when Eton Forever (10-1) ran out an impressive winner of the Lincoln consolation race, the William Hill Spring Mile.

Varian thanks his lucky stars he has inherited a good team of about 100 after taking over from Newmarket trainer Michael Jarvis.

“It’s the perfect way to get going. I’m so happy and I’ve got a lot of people to thank,” said Varian.

“This is a horse we have always liked. His form was good and he had been working well.

“He hadn’t raced since July so while we were happy with him we weren’t quite sure if he was ready.”

Bill Turner won the williamhill.com Brocklesby Conditions Stakes for a fifth time when He’s So Cool (8-1) made amends for an expensive defeat when third to Redair at Kempton a week earlier.

He turned the tables when beating that filly by three-quarters of a length under Kieren Fox.

Turner said of his £2,000 purchase: “We did our money at Kempton. He didn’t handle the all-weather. He had worked OK on it at home but had worked a lot better on grass.

“I think he’ll go for the Lily Agnes at Chester. That looks like it will suit him. He’s got plenty of toe and he’ll handle the bends OK.”

Sud Pacifique (100-30) had his rivals toiling some way out as he made a promising start to the campaign with his first career victory in the Bob Beevers Memorial Maiden Stakes.

Mirrored (18-1), trained by Tim Easterby, landed his first success for nearly two years when carrying joint top weight in division one of the williamhill.com Handicap, while John Quinn`s Bonfire Knight (100-30 favourite) rewarded supporters of champion jockey Paul Hanagan by taking division two.

Promising claimer Harry Bentley, fresh from a stint in Dubai, got off the mark with a stylish success on the Elaine Burke-trained Frontline Phantom (11-1) in the universalrecyclingcompany.co.uk Apprentice Handicap.

State Of Play came through his final serious piece of work with flying colours ahead of the Grand National at Aintree.

The 11-year-old has not run since he finished third to Don’t Push It in the great race 12 months ago. He was also fourth in 2009.

Trainer Evan Williams reports his stable stalwart to be in fine shape as he attempts to make it third-time lucky in the four and a half mile marathon.

“He did his final piece of work on Saturday and he will have a school on Monday morning, but everything is good and we’re happy with him,” said Williams.

“We’ve got a nice bit of grass we use in the spring and summer on some low-lying ground and he had a spin round there. He seemed happy and well. Paul (Moloney) has only been riding him very occasionally. He comes down and rides out once a week but we try to keep jockeys away from the place!

“I’m not concerned about the ground at Aintree. There might be a drop of rain in the middle of the week, it will be good fresh ground and there will be no excuses on that side.”

Aintree hoping for rain showers

Aintree may resume watering in the next day or so should showers fizzle out before the three-day John Smith’s Grand National meeting begins on Thursday.

Officials at the Merseyside track are happy with the state of the going but there is no guarantee anymore rain will fall before the weather looks like settling down for the second half of the week.

“There’s no change to ground conditions. The Mildmay and Hurdle courses are good and the National course is good, good to soft in places,” said clerk of the course Andrew Tulloch.

“It’s been overcast today with the odd bit of drizzle about. I think we are going to possibly get the odd shower and then we will keep an eye on it.

“It might rain again tomorrow. We will have to see what the forecast is – it’s a bit uncertain at the moment.

“We may start watering tomorrow – we will just have to see what happens tonight and tomorrow and then make a decision. We are all right at the moment but I wouldn’t discount watering again if we need it which I think is probably likely.

“The weather looks like it is going to be fine for the actual three days of the meeting. Ground-wise we would really like to maintain what we have got. That’s what we are looking for in an ideal world.”