IT’S hard to believe that it’s more than 30 years since the great User Friendly won on this card for Bill Gredley before going on to classic glory at Epsom and Doncaster, or indeed over three decades since Environment Friend gave James Fanshawe his first Group 2 and then his first Group 1 in the same colours, but the Gredley family have found themselves another star in the shape of Ambiente Friendly, who showed improved form to turn the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial into a procession.

Ridden by Callum Shepherd and without the hood he’d worn on previous starts, Ambiente Friendly was a revelation in the listed contest, sprinting clear in the home straight having tracked the pace, and value for more than the four and a half-length winning margin over favourite Illinois (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore), who made most of the running, but was simply no match for the easy winner.

The 8/1 chance travelled well throughout, handling the contours well, and as the field spread out in the straight, there briefly appeared to be around seven horses in line.

If that sight promised a crowded finish, then such notions were quickly dispelled, with the winner skipping clear having had to come widest of all out of the final turn.

Illinois kept on dourly to hold second, with Meydaan (Simon and Ed Crisford/Harry Davies) beaten a total of seven and three-quarter lengths in third.

Tom Fanshawe, assistant to his father, said of the son of Gleneagles: “He’s hopefully an exciting horse. We don’t get many horses that head for the Derby, but thanks to Mr Gredley it looks as if we do now.

“He’s always been a nice mover and everything he does is effortless. We know Charlie Appleby and Aidan will have contenders, but we feel we have every right to be there.”

Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes

The Group 3 Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes went the way of Marco Botti’s Great Generation, but it took patience on the part of rider Marco Ghiani after the pair were stuck behind rivals with no avenue of escape with two furlongs left.

The 10/3 chance was full of running, though, and Ghiani didn’t panic, with the wayward Stenton Glider (Hugo Palmer/Harry Davies) hanging left into favourite Remarquee and opening up an avenue for the winner just in time.

Stenton Glider kept on well, but was caught close home and beaten a neck, with Sirona (David Menuisier/Rossa Ryan) the same margin back in third in a messy race.

Great Generation was an excellent fourth behind Romantic Style, Ramatuelle and Tamfana on her previous start, so this win against her elders was no surprise and she may be supplemented for the Commonwealth Cup with both jockey and trainer believing that a mile will stretch her.

“We did have her in the German Guineas,” said Botti.

“Thinking that if we were to stretch her out to a mile, that would be the race, but I think we’ll concentrate on six and seven furlongs.

“She’s not in the Commonwealth Cup, maybe we could think about supplementing, but we’ll see.

“That is the only race for her if she is to go to Royal Ascot, because the Coronation Stakes would be too far.”

You Got To Me says you shall not pass

YOU Got To Me (Ralph Beckett) set a scorching pace under Hector Crouch in the Listed William Hill Oaks Trial Fillies’ Stakes at Lingfield, but despite looking like she might have done too much in front, the daughter of Nathaniel kept up the gallop and had enough left to fend of the late challenge of Rubies Are Red (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) and favourite Danielle (John and Thady Gosden/Kieran Shoemark) to win by half a length and a length in an intriguing contest.

Quickly into stride, the 7/2 chance established a five-length lead after a couple of furlongs, and she continued in a clear lead until the straight, where the pack closed ominously, but although second and third both traded long odds-on in the run, You Got To Me proved her stamina for the Oaks trip by pulling out a little more when required.

Crouch said: “It wasn’t deliberate to go quite that quick; she’s a horse that likes to get on with things and if you get in an argument with her, she’s 10 times worse. You have to let her be her and it worked out nicely.

“I was out of control until the first bend, then she had a look at the hill and backed off for me. She did everything very nicely from the six to the three, then she was very game in the finish.

“She came down the hill beautifully.

“She’s a very big horse, but she’s beautifully balanced. I’m really pleased. She’s always done good work at home, and we expected her to win first time; she was just a bit weak at the backend last year.”

Of the runner-up, Kevin Buckley reported: “Ryan said he couldn’t get her going down the hill, which meant he had extra ground to make up, but it was a new experience for her, and we would be happy with that.”

Around the Tracks

THERE was a mixed card at Haydock on Saturday, where Pickanumber (Olly Murphy/Dylan Johnston) ran out a 15-length winner of the Pertemps Network Swinton Hurdle, making it four wins in five starts since joining his current connections from Peter Croke.

The win was backed up by a fast time, but this represented a big improvement from the 22/1 shot, so it remains to be seen whether he can repeat the effort having been hit with a 15lb rise for this demolition.

The other race of interest on the card was the Listed Pertemps Network Spring Trophy, which saw 6/1 chance Shartash (Archie Watson/Joshua Bryan) beat reliable yardstick Pogo (Charlie Hills/Richard Kingscote) by a neck. Winner of the Railway Stakes as a juvenile for Johnny Murtagh, Shartash is now two from two since joining his current yard and could now go for the Group 3 John of Gaunt Stakes over course and distance in a few weeks.

Ascot

The Victoria Cup at Ascot failed to draw a maximum field but produced a good winner in the shape of The Wizard of Eye, who landed a minor gamble on debut for Charlie Fellowes, scoring at odds of 7/1 under a confident ride from Tom Marquand. The winner was previously with Stan Moore, for whom he was a listed winner at Kempton in 2022.