Racing: Dancer's Wokingham aim

Circuit Dancer will be aimed at the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot next week after landing the rated sprint handicap at York yesterday.

Circuit Dancer will be aimed at the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot next week after landing the rated sprint handicap at York yesterday.

The Alan Berry-trained four-year-old overcame an aversion to starting stalls to record a last-gasp win under Fergal Lynch, catching Marsad right on the line to prevail by a short-head, with Dazzling Bay three-quarters of a length back in third.

Ironically, flip starts had been planned for the race in anticipation of industrial action by stalls handlers, whose dispute was settled in time for racing to go ahead as normal.

After Circuit Dancer had won despite missing the break, Berry said: "He's just a bit quirky in the stalls and the reason we came here was because they said there was a strike and there would be no stalls. I would have liked to have taken a chance without stalls.

"But Fergal gets on well with him and he kept the hood on him and he was fine. He stayed on really well. He's run well here a couple of times before and he loves the fast ground," Berry explained.

"He'll go for the Wokingham with an 8lb penalty. We're right at the bottom, so this will make sure he gets in."