OJA winners continue to flow

The unraced juveniles highlighted in the various Ahead On The Flat Updates have been running well in recent days. Red Vineyard (9/2) made a winning start to his career at Ffos Las on Sunday, Million Thanks ran promisingly in second at Ayr on Tuesday and Divine Jewel (9/2) was unfortunate not to get off the mark at the first time of asking at Nottingham on Wednesday.

The last named is a well bred daughter of Frankel out of the Group 2 May Hill Stakes winner Agnes Stewart and cost 300,000gns as a yearling. Roger Varian's filly was stood in the stalls for at least seven or eight minutes while a number of the runners played up beforehand - ironically, they included the winner Hanaady, who had the benefit of a run beforehand. Drawn wide in stall 11, Divine Jewel was towards the rear and green for much of the race and only had a couple behind her turning for home. However, she made good headway in the straight with David Egan electing to make his challenge along the far rail. Denied by half a length, she was closing in quickly on the winner and would have prevailed with a clear passage. Hopefully, she will be hard to beat next time albeit at a much shorter price.

One Jump Ahead has made a fine start and Donald McCain's interview in the Talking Trainers section produced its second winner in as many days with Fruit N Nut (11/8) scoring on his hurdles debut at Bangor. Bought for £40,000 having finished runner-up in an Irish point for Donnchadh Doyle, he won a couple of bumpers last season. Making all, the five year old produced a couple of scruffy leaps but was very good at the last which sealed his three and a quarter lengths victory. Unfortunately, the Carlotamix gelding returned with a nasty over reach on a fetlock joint which means he will have to spend some time on the sidelines. Hopefully, the injury doesn't prove to be too serious.