THE going was soft on Chepstow Racecourse’s wet evening meeting on Friday 24th July where, like the previous week’s meeting, locally-trained horses did well, winning the first, fourth and fifth races.

The first race was over six furlongs for two-year-old maiden fillies and Cathy Gannon on Thatsallimsaying (5/1) made a bee-line for the stand rail, a tactic that paid off handsomely.

Always prominent, she had a clear lead a furlong out and ran on strongly to beat Stroke Of Midnight and the others who’d kept to the middle of the track by five lengths.

Trainer David Evans is on the crest of a wave, with ten winners in the last fortnight prior to this one.

There was another five-length winner in the next, a fillies’ handicap over seven furlongs. Poyle Jessica (5/2) was held up by the useful apprentice Patrick O’Donnell until well inside the last quarter of a mile, when the filly squeezed through a gap on the stands rail and came right away from Outlaw Kate.

The winner was trained by Ralph Beckett, whose runners at Chepstow should always be respected.

Andrew Balding doubled up with Guiding Light (13/8), who won the seven furlong handicap. Unbeaten in two previous runs here, the three-year-old was prominent till entering the last two furlongs.

Kicked on at that point by Eddie Greatrex, another promising apprentice, he scooted away to an 11 length success over Prefect.

In the next, over a mile, Peak Storm (9/4 fav) won his sixth race on the course. Luke Morris brought him to the front with a furlong and a half to go and he quickly put the race to bed.

At the winning post John O’Shea’s six-year-old, who has run well here in recent weeks, was more than two lengths ahead of Mr Frankie.

Bonjour Steve (11/8 fav), a course winner on soft going, obliged in the five furlong handicap.

Swendab set a brisk pace in the centre but, once challenged with 150 yards to go, he had no more to offer.

Richard Kingscote rode the fairly comfortable three quarter-length winner for Richard Price.

The two mile handicap was won by the North Yorkshire raider Duke Street (11/10 fav), who showed the typical tenacity of Mark Johnston-trained horses by making all the running for his third win in 11 days, staying on strongly under Franny Norton.

Ring Eye, a recent course winner over half a mile less, was beaten four lengths into second place.

In the last race, over a mile and a half, the Dean Ivory-trained Goldslinger (6/5 fav) made all and had the race sewn up fully three furlongs out.

Under no pressure at all, he extended his lead to about ten lengths before Royston Ffrench applied the brakes in the last half furlong, which limited the margin of victory over Bernisdale to six lengths.