SOARING SPIRITS put Harper Lodge Farm back among the winners with a 25/1 success at Brighton this afternoon.
The stable has gone through a rather cold spell of late with last month a barren one but the search for a winner ended courtesy of the eight-year-old chestnut son of Tamayuz.
Given a great front-running ride by Robert Winston, who gets on with well with the horse, the pair repelled the challenge of the runner-up, Dream Of Camelot during the final two furlongs to hang on by a neck.
Running off a mark of 62, Soaring Spirits was reasonably well treated, having won last year off 66 but the key may be Robert Winston who has now ridden him to victory in his last six wins. Spirits is inclined to sulk if he’s not in front, so Robert jumped the horse out (running in blinkers again) and made all, in very similar fashion to how he won on him back at Lingfield back in June.
Despite the best efforts of the runner-up, Soaring Spirits battle on gamely under strong driving and he was always just doing enough to land his fourth career win at Brighton but his first at the Sussex track over a mile.
While he may not be an easy to horse to win with, Spirits does have a very healthy strike rate, this being his tenth success in 71 career starts and he has been in the first four in 44% of his races. No wonder owner Doreen Carter has a soft spot for him!
September may have been a lean month for the stable but last week end saw the beginnings of a return to form with Flaming Spear and Eirene both fifth in competitive races at Ascot while Wotadoll was third at Brighton earlier this afternoon.