'We'll have a few tonight' - Alan King ready to party after saddling his 2,000th winner

Alan King toasted a "special moment" in the Sandown winner's enclosure on Saturday after Westerton gave the trainer his 2,000th success. 

A winner at the highest level over jumps and on the Flat, as well as at the Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot, King is certainly a trainer for all seasons and was rightly proud to reach a notable milestone. 

"It's been a long time coming the last few weeks but then suddenly we've had four winners in two days and I'm very proud of it," said King, who saddled an across-the-card treble at Sandown and Aintree on Friday. 

"We've been lucky enough to have winners at the Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot and it's a great achievement for everyone at home as well. We'll have a few tonight."

Perhaps best known for the likes of Voy Por Ustedes, Katchit and Edwardstone over jumps, King has increased his Flat string with great success in recent years but was keen to emphasise he has never been shy of running horses under either code. 

Ryan Moore partners Westerton to victory at SandownCredit: Alan Crowhurst

"We've had about 350 winners on the Flat," said the Barbury Castle trainer, whose tally includes 1,998 winners in Britain, one in Ireland and one in France. "Everyone thinks it's something new but I had my first winner on the Flat around 2002. The Flat team is getting bigger. It's not quite 50-50 but it's not far off it now and we're probably spending more on the Flat team than the jumpers now."

King, who took on the training licence from David Nicholson in 1999, had been tempted to run the John Law-owned Westerton in the 1m1f handicap for three-year-olds on the same card but instead took aim at the £27,000 first prize for the 1m2f maiden for the same age group.

He added: "I'm delighted today and it's great to do it for wonderful owners who have flown down from Aberdeen this morning. They're a delight to train for."

Lucky Lee flying high

Clifford Lee isn't the sort of jockey who is going to let the big occasion ruffle his feathers, but prior to his ride on Novakai in Sunday's Group 1 Prix de Diane, and an enviable book of rides at Royal Ascot, it cannot hurt to know your luck is in.

Lee found himself locked against the inside rail in the 5f Listed Molson Coors Scurry Stakes, but when a dream split came inside the final furlong his partner Lady Hamana blasted through and away from her rivals. 

"I was praying for that gap," said Lee after scoring by one and a quarter lengths on the 9-1 chance. "I was always locked on the rail. I tried to get off it early doors to sit on the girth of the leader but the lads squeezed me back in a bit.

Lady Hamana (Clifford Lee) wins the Scurry StakesCredit: Mark Cranham

"She enjoyed the first-time cheekpieces and they woke her up a bit, but I was surprised because at one stage I had five lengths to make up. Who knows where she can end up now she's got a bit of confidence."

With the help of winning trainer Karl Burke, Lee has come of age in the saddle this season, highlighted by some fine rides in the next few days including Novakai at Chantilly, Marshman in the King's Stand Stakes, Beautiful Diamond in the Queen Mary and, perhaps the best of the lot, Elite Status in the Norfolk Stakes.

"It's great to ride horses like that," said the 27-year-old, who also rides Dubai Hills at Chantilly on Sunday. "I'm still looking for the first Group 1 and fingers crossed we can get it somewhere. Novakai's form has worked out well and I'm definitely looking forward to her. We've plenty of chances at Ascot too and we're just hoping for a bit of luck now."

Change of luck for Connemara Coast

Richard Hughes had hoped Connemara Coast would make his team sheet for next week's Royal Ascot but there were few regrets about bypassing the royal meeting after the lightly raced three-year-old scored decisively in the 1m1f handicap. 

Owned by Bernardine and Sean Mulryan, Connemara Coast had looked a little unlucky in running in a pair of Newmarket handicaps this spring, but there were no traffic woes on this occasion as Ryan Moore brought him with a sustained run from off the pace. 

"He's looked a bit unlucky twice and lost all his momentum when checked last time," explained Hughes. "Ideally a really hard mile, when he's almost off the bridle in behind, is what he wants and then he'll outstay them, but he'll definitely be a mile-and-a-quarter horse next season." 

While Royal Ascot will have to wait, Hughes thinks the winner could still make his mark at the royal racecourse later in the season. The trainer added: "He was meant to win at Newmarket last time and then the next stop would have been the Britannia, but I don't like going into races like that saying you've been unlucky. At least we know [what we've got] now and he'd be tailor-made for Ascot where they go flat out."   

Maysong hits the right note 

Rider Shariq Mohd made his first visit to Sandown a winning one when partnering his third winner in Britain aboard Maysong in the mile handicap.

Maysong has been good to Mohd since the jockey arrived at Alice Haynes's yard in Newmarket from his home in Delhi in January, handing the 24-year-old apprentice his first success in Britain at Redcar in April and now following up in front of the ITV cameras. 

"It's so nice to have a winner in front of this crowd and with the owners and trainer here," said Mohd. "He's been my favourite horse since my first day in the yard and it's so nice to win on him again. It's lovely to work for Alice and the owners have been great."

Mohd's only other winner in Britain to date, Parisiac, also carried the Maysong silks of Gary Allsopp to victory at Lingfield this month.

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