FINDING Mick Easterby’s horses on the right day is not the easiest of tasks and his four-year-old filly Aetna had been a little disappointing since landing some shrewd bets at the York Dante meeting in May.

However, she came right back to her best last Saturday, taking the Listed Betfred “Goals Galore” Wentworth Stakes by nearly three lengths from Lancelot Du Lac with Spinatrix third and last year’s winner Jack Dexter a rather disappointing fourth.

The ground was heavy in places, prompting some spirited wagering on Jack Dexter but he is not quite as good as before and 15/8 was a very short price about a horse without a win in 12 months.

Tropics was easy to back in the ground and finished a very modest fifth but stable-companion Lancelot Du Lac had the better of the argument on the far side, leading overall until Aetna (8/1) came with her challenge in the centre and drew clear for Graham Gibbons.

Winning a listed handicap as tidily as this is very useful form and Aetna may not have finished for the year.

“I want to win a Group 3 race with her if I can,” the trainer said. “I might take her to France if there is anything about. She has been wrong for most of the summer, giving the odd cough.”

LADY IN WAITING

It may have been a back-end card but favourite backers had no complaints.

True, Roger Varian’s Princess Loulou was beaten a length by Lucy Wadham’s Lady Tiana (4/1) in the listed 10-furlong race for fillies but the first four market leaders went in, 6/4 shots Stake Acclaim and Mobsta taking the two divisions of the six-furlong maiden for juveniles for Dean Ivory and Mick Channon respectively, while 13/8 chance Anonymous John landed the nursery for David Evans and John Quinn’s Levitate (4/1 favourite) recorded a clear-cut victory in the seven-furlong handicap.

Add to that Open Eagle’s attractive 15/2 SP in the November Handicap and it was hard for the layers to make an impression on a day which often does them proud.