IT was a tough week for bookmakers and it became tougher towards the end, with Dancing Star landing some very handy bets in Saturday’s Qatar Stewards’ Cup after being backed down to 9/2 favourite. Not only that, but former Stewards’ Cup hero Hoof It was hardly friendless in the ‘consolation’ race which opened proceedings.

Dancing Star, owned by Jeff Smith and trained by Andrew Balding, is from the same family as the brilliant Lochsong, who won this and countless other top sprints for the same owner and Andrew’s father Ian in 1992 and thereafter.