Racing: Branston Abby equals record

Branston Abby equalled the post-war British record for the number of wins by an equine female when gaining her 22nd career success in the listed Dallmayr Delikatessenhauses Grosser Sprint Preis at Munich yesterday.

The seven-year-old, partnered by Darryll Holland, started the 3-5 favourite for the pounds 10,811 race over an extended six furlongs and had too much speed for Sharp Prod, formerly owned by the Queen, holding a half-length advantage at the line.

Now Mark Johnston's mare, who now shares the record with the former Jack Berry-trained Laurel Queen, will return to Germany later this month in an attempt to claim her 23rd victory, although the Middleham trainer is more concerned about winning a Pattern race with the chestnut than chasing totals.

Johnston, who saddled three runners at Newcastle yesterday, said: "Given the level of her form it is unbelievable that she hasn't won a Group race.

"Hopefully we will get one out of her before long. It would be very nice if it was in the Haydock Park Sprint next month (7 September).''

n Attendances for this year's Glorious Goodwood were up on the corresponding figures for 1995. The crowd figure for Tuesday to Saturday totalled 95,560 compared with 94,733 last year - an increase of 827. The cash turnover for the meeting compared favourably with 12 months ago, with a total of pounds 1,897,275 up pounds 88,941 (5 per cent) on the 1995 figure of pounds 1,808,334.