CHARLIE Hills is up and running for the season and won Wednesday’s Listed CSP European Free Handicap at Newmarket with 3/1 joint-favourite Ibn Malik, who made all and came home two lengths clear of Scrutineer.

This will be an interesting campaign for the Lambourn trainer, whose father Barry won this event four times. Hills Jr has Darryll Holland on the strength now but Paul Hanagan remains principal rider to Hamdan Al Maktoum and was on board here, quickly stretching the field as Adventurous tried to go with him. That persistent challenge petered out as Mick Channon’s Scrutineer loomed up at the furlong pole but Ibn Malik kept up the gallop and was going away again at the finish.

A son of Raven’s Pass, Ibn Malik was gelded over the winter, thus ruling out the Qipco 20000 Guineas, though he seems better suited to seven furlongs anyway.

“He’s not the sort of horse who wants to be messed around in among other horses and it made sense to be positive on him,” Hanagan said. “He showed a good attitude and could be even better on better ground.”

Ibn Malik’s form ties in well with some potential stars over the weeks and months to come. He was beaten by Godolphin’s Emotionless (who worked well on Wednesday) in the Champagne Stakes last year and also succumbed to the prolific Gifted Master, who took the Tattersalls Millions Sprint on this card.

All the signs point towards Royal Ascot and the Jersey Stakes. Paddy Power quoted him at 7/1 for that prestigious event with Gifted Master on the same mark.

Disappointments on Wednesday included the other 3/1 joint-favourite Raucous, who beat only one of the six home. This was Tom Dascombe’s Kachy, who was easy to back at 5/1 and never looked like following up his unbeaten juvenile form.

HANAGAN DOUBLE

John Gosden, successful three times on Tuesday, followed up with Mahsoob in the Group 3 Weatherbys General Stud Book Earl of Sefton Stakes, giving Hanagan and Sheikh Hamdan a double on the day.

A son of Dansili, Mahsoob graduated from competitive handicaps last term but was having only his seventh outing at the age of five in this. The fact that the Sheikh kept him in training speaks for itself and he was well backed at 100/30.

Coming from off the pace, he threw down a strong challenge to warm favourite Air Pilot and Fran Berry and finally gained the upper hand, pulling just over a length clear close home. Tullius showed the benefit of a recent race in France in third but Battle Of Marathon, a creditable fourth in bad ground in the Lincoln, could manage no better than fifth – still a good effort.

Interestingly, Mahsoob may well be dropped to a mile for the Group 1 Lockinge at Newbury, with Coral cutting him to 12/1 from 25s.

“He shows plenty of speed. We tried him over a mile and a half last season but he didn’t stay,” assistant racing manager Richard Hills said.

Flat racing has changed in various ways over the past few years and it no longer comes as a surprise to see a sales race worth more than a Listed or Group 3 event on a typical Newmarket programme.

That was the way of it here, though disappointingly only a handful of runners lined up for the £100,000 Tattersalls Millions 3-Y-O Sprint over six furlongs with more than £54,000 going to the winner.

That turned out to be Hugo Palmer’s Gifted Master, who started at 2/1 on and had a clear chance at levels with Aidan O’Brien’s Waterloo Bridge, whom he beat in another sales race over seven furlongs here last October. Waterloo Bridge had won the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot but the outcome was much the same as Gifted Master, happy enough over the shorter trip, was soon bowling along in front for Pat Smullen and accounted for his old rival by a handsome three and a half lengths. The five runners were well and truly stretched out and Palmer will enjoy few easier winning days than this.

Smullen had won the opening Wood Ditton Stakes for debutant three-year-olds on William Haggas’ 3/1 favourite Sky Kingdom, who raced keenly and kept on well to hold Mulk by three-parts of a length. Although the form is impossible to assess, Sky Kingdom – by Montjeu out of the talented New Zealand mare We Can Say It Now - holds Dante and Derby entries.

Incidentally, Smullen will ride Peter Chapple-Hyam’s 33/1 Racing Post Trophy winner Marcel in the 2000 Guineas and was more than happy with him following a spin at Newmarket on Thursday morning.

WINNING STORY

This is the year Godolphin hopes and expects to make belated inroads at Group 1 level and the New Approach colt Winning Story, 13/2, did everything asked of him in the 10 furlong Julian Wilson Memorial EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes, commemorating the greatly respected BBC presenter.

Winning Story worked quite hard to join issue as Knights Table made the running but he hit the front a furlong out and looked good on the climb to the line, pulling two lengths clear of Daqeeq with Gosden’s Wings Of Desire keeping on well in third. There was a rare setback for the trainer because stable-companion Satish started 6/4 favourite but made no show.

Neither Saeed bin Suroor nor John Ferguson mentioned any lofty plans for the winner, though he figures on 33/1 in ante-post Derby lists.

Mark Johnston has been carrying all before him with his youngsters but Sutter County, with a stiff 6lb penalty for his easy Wolverhampton win, was all out at 4/9 to ward off Kevin Ryan’s newcomer Dream Of Dreams in the novice stakes.

Ryan is going along well and won the sprint handicap here for the second day in succession when 2/1 favourite Brando ran away with the finale.