DAVID Probert’s fine run continued with another double at Brighton last Tuesday, winners at Newmarket and Epsom on Thursday and one at York on Saturday.

Foxtrot Lady, the Newmarket winner, will have reminded him of the exploits of her half-sister Dancing Star, who won the same race three years ago and went on to land the Stewards Cup at Goodwood.

Probert rode her on those occasions. Both fillies are entered in this year’s renewal of the historic sprint handicap on 4 August, and both run in the colours of Jeff Smith, who has been fortunate enough to own three Racehorses of the Year – Chief Singer, Lochsong and Persian Punch.

Local trainers have had a slightly quieter time of it lately.

Grace Harris sponsored a two-mile handicap hurdle at Ffos Las last week, and the stable’s runner Grams And Ounces faded out of contention two out to finish fifth. He won at the Carmarthenshire track on his preceding run, over half a mile further. He’ll have to wait until Chepstow’s meeting tomorrow before trying for his 16th victory in a mile and a half flat race. Grams is equally adept on the level and over jumps.

The stable sprang an 11/1 surprise there last Friday with another of their veterans, Living Leader, getting the better of a duel with John Flint’s in-form Air Of York, the pair pulling well clear. Other highlights of that evening were Quantum Dot scoring his fifth victory at the track and Street Parade winning the two-year-old race by eight lengths.

At Windsor on Monday night the yard’s young flagbearer Bungee Jump finished second to a Clive Cox horse, Kick On Kick On, who is almost certainly capable of going up in class. The way Bungee Jump was scrubbed along from halfway in this five furlong event, but kept responding, was a reminder that six furlongs is also well within her compass.

Half an hour later David Evans’ Mouchee, having his second run after being gelded, was the form horse in the mile and a quarter seller and he made no mistake under Adam Kirby, winning by over three lengths.

At the climax of an entertaining auction, Evans declined to bid 10,000 guineas to retain the horse and he will in future run for Michael Blake’s Wiltshire stable.

Evans’ North Korea made all to win a five furlong dash at Lingfield last week. The filly had gone close twice before, seizing her opportunity on the fast all-weather track. She was trying for a quick follow-up at Bath yesterday afternoon.

Nikki Evans’ Polkadot Princess has a very modest level of form, but she’s been doing better upped to a mile and a quarter, coming in fifth and second on the firm ground at Bath in the last fortnight. She’s never started at less than 20/1 and could run into a place at big odds if the trainer can find another similar race for her.

Last week’s Chepstow meeting showed it paid to be a front runner or close to the pace and tomorrow afternoon’s fixture is likely to be similar on the prevailing fast ground. Racing gets under way at 2.10.