'Public sales are a fairground' - trainer frustrated after claiming £16k winner

Tuesday: Lingfield

Ostilio, a winner at Royal Ascot and the Group 2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein at Longchamp in 2018 for Simon Crisford, showed there were still some flashes of his old form after the odds-on shot took the 7f claiming stakes under Luke Morris for Archie Watson.

It proved to be the final start for those connections as the seven-year-old was claimed by Phil McEntee for £16,000 after the race.

McEntee, who did not saddle a runner on the card, said: "Am I going to buy a horse at Newmarket next week rated 93 for 16 grand? Absolutely no chance. The public sales now are just a fairground for overseas clients.

"I know for a fact 16 grand isn't going to buy me a 70-rated horse at the sales next week, never mind anything else. We took a chance, he's a handful of a horse to deal with but we’re hopeful we can work with him.

"He's shown he still retains some ability and I've bought him for an existing owner Michelle Hancox, who potentially might have a Saturday horse on her hands in the summer."

No stopping Nuble

The Marco Botti-trained Nuble completed a January course hat-trick when apprentice Christian Howarth partnered the five-year-old to victory in the 1m2f handicap.

Magical Marco strikes again

Marco Ghiani continued his superb start to the week, matching Monday's double at Kempton when guiding the Robert Stephens-trained Melakaz to a second successive win at the track in the 1m5f handicap and then combining with Stuart Williams to take the 7f maiden stakes aboard Wyvern.

Results, replays and analysis

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