IT was third time lucky for Passion And Glory at Windsor on Monday, writes Dave Wright.
Saeed bin Suroor's runner had finished second and third in his two previous races last month, but got off the mark in good style in the six-furlong Rita Ora Live At Windsor Racecourse Novice Stakes.
Ridden by Oisin Murphy, the 8/11 favourite, led for most of the 10 furlongs and won cosily by one-and-a-quarter-lengths from 3/1 chance El Misk with Shauyra (18/1) third in the 16-runner field.
Murphy and bin Suroor were out of luck in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes, with 4/7 favourite Lost In Time going down by a length to 28/1 outsider Winning Streak, the mount of Marco Ghiani, a rapidly-improving apprentice and trained by Stuart Williams.
Williams had Murphy – who will definitely be champion jockey this year according to TV presenter Matt Chapman on Monday – on board for his Indian Raj in the five-furlong Oddfellows Handicap, but the 11/10 favourite could only finish third of the six runners behind Harry Hurricane (9/2) chance, ridden by Cieren Fallon for George Baker, and Look Surprised at 4/1.
The Ron Harris-trained Eye Of The Water (8/1) won the six-furlong Sky Sports Racing On Sky 415 Handicap in the hands of David Probert, by half-a-length from Sonja Henie (15/2).
The Windsor Racecourse Fireworks Returns 2nd November Handicap, over 10 furlongs, went to 3/1 favourite Black Lotus, the mount of George Wood and trained by Chris Wall, sweeping into the lead inside the final furlong and passing the post two-and-a-quarter-lengths ahead of The Jean Genie (8/1), ridden by Hollie Doyle.
David Egan urged Tammooz (5/2) from Roger Varian's yard to victory in the Sky Sports Racing On Virgin 535 Handicap, getting a head verdict over Zoffee, the 5/4 favourite with Silvestre De Sousa in the saddle.
There is a seven-race card at Windsor tomorrow (Saturday), starting at 4.40 and featuring the Listed Sri Lanka August Stakes at 6.20.
The 17 five-day entries were headed by the David Simcock-trained Desert Encounter, who won the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate Glorious Stakes at Goodwood earlier this month.
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