Top 40 entry Gone By wins Bibury Cup

Gone By, who features in the Top 40 Prospects of Ahead on The Flat, was a wide margin winner at Ripon earlier this month. Ralph Beckett's filly made her handicap debut in the Bibury Cup at Salisbury on Tuesday off a mark of 90 and produced a gutsy performance enhancing her reputation in the process. Tackling a mile and a half for the first time, the Gleneagles filly is a stayer who lacks a change of gear and was ridden close to the pace. Leading over three furlongs out, Hector Crouch's mount initially fought off the challenge of the outsider Mythical Valentine before resisting the final thrust of market rival Pearl River. A neck winner, her trainer described it as a messy contest and believes she will be more at home in a strongly run event. She could head to Goodwood next month for a 0-105 three year old handicap over a mile and a half (29th July).

Talking of progressive middle distance handicappers, it was impossible not to be impressed by Wine Dark Sea's wide margin victory in the Cumberland Plate at Carlisle last week. Harry Charlton's four year old defeated nine rivals by upwards of thirteen lengths off a mark of 83. Not surprisingly, the handicapper has take a dim view raising the Ulysses gelding seventeen pounds to a mark of 100. Entered in a heritage handicap over a mile and six at Newmarket's July meeting (10th July), he incurs a six pounds penalty for his victory at the Cumbrian track but remains eleven pounds 'well in.' His connections will surely be tempted to let him take his chance on the July course.