Abingdon strikes for Ballymacoll

PONTEFRACT the day after Royal Ascot will have come as an anti-climax to many but there was a listed race included and favourite backers had no complaints because the even-money favourite Abingdon won very easily.

Ryan Moore’s link with Sir Michael Stoute endures and he soon had Abingdon handily placed in the Pontefract Castle Fillies’ Stakes over a mile and a half, bringing her through to lead in the straight before pulling 10 lengths clear of Lucy The Painter.

The winner carried the famous colours of the Ballymacoll Stud, responsible for Derby winners Troy and North Light but now about to disperse its entire stock at a series of sales, the property having been sold at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin this week (see A6).

Carlisle success for Condon

KEN Condon spotted a good opportunity to get blacktype for his filly Elusive Beauty in the seven-furlong ebfstallions.com “Eternal” Stakes listed race at Carlisle on Wednesday. The three-year-old Elusive Pimpernel filly ran out a cosy winner at odds of 11/2 under Danny Tudhophe from the favourite Bletchley.

The filly was bred by Peter McCutcheon for owner David Kelly, who said: “Ken pinpointed this race months ago,” and praised the track for looking after all who had travelled over on the Monday.

Paddy and James Griffin made another successful raid to Britain last Sunday when Heist justified 11/4 favouritism in the three mile handicap chase at

Bet totetrifecta Handicap Chase at Hexham, winning by five lengths under 7lb claimer Adam Short.

Payne banned

MELBOURNE Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne who rode last week at Royal Ascot last week was handed a four-week suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.

Payne, who returned a urine sample this month containing traces of phentermine, admitted guilt at a Racing Victoria inquiry. The 31-year-old was prescribed the drug, an appetite suppressant, as she recovered from surgery on her pancreas last year.

She is banned until July 21st following a Racing Victoria inquiry and is scheduled to return to Ascot for the Shergar Cup on August 12th.