THE opening William Hill Portland Handicap is generally considered one of the most competitive sprint handicaps of the season. That was hardly the case this time as Paul d’Arcy’s 12/1 shot Spring Loaded came through to lead towards the stands’ side and surged clear to beat 7/1 favourite Vibrant Chords by three and a half lengths.

Justanotherbottle and Lexington Abbey took the minor honours.

On a good day for greys, Spring Loaded – by Zebedee out of an Intikhab mare –made the most of a mark 13lb lower than his rating on the all-weather. He was probably helped by the ground drying out on the final day and received every bit of assistance from young Joey Haynes, who was enjoying one of his best paydays to date.

“I told Joey to keep it simple because he keeps picking up for you,” d’Arcy said. “He had a bad draw at Chester and a stress fracture earlier in the year but everything came right today.”

WESTERLAND GAME FOR FRANkie

Those punters waiting for Frankie Dettori to pay for the day on Town Moor had their moment when the Italian just got John Gosden’s Westerland home in the Napoleons Casinos & Restaurants Nursery Handicap over a mile.

Gosden does not have many runners in this sphere and backers took the hint with the 13/8 market leader racing off a mark of 86 which made the son of Frankel an attractive proposition.

However, it took all of the former champion’s skill and strength to hold Jim Crowley on Regimented by a short-head, the pair clear of the remainder.

Nursery handicaps may not often attract the trainer but he likes this one and was recording his third victory in the race since 2010. Westerland responded well to first-time cheekpieces.

BARGAIN BUY

Kryptos, trained by Dermot Weld at the start of his career but snapped up by Newmarket handler John Berry for 12,000 guineas last year, took the P J Towey Construction Ltd Handicap, also over a mile.

Tracking the leaders and quite keen for young Nicola Currie, Kryptos took it up approaching the final furlong and his 7lb claiming rider is unlikely to forget what happened next because she held Ryan Moore on 11/4 favourite Battered by nearly two lengths.

“He is so straightforward,” Currie said with a smile. “We sat in behind and he carried me all the way there. It worked out lovely!”

Kryptos was returned at 9/2 but favourite backers were back on the mark in the last when Oisin Murphy, still in excellent form and completing a double, brought home Godolphin’s 5/6 chance Game Starter well clear of Amazing Red in the mile and a half handicap.