Atavus lands nice old touch

It is a happy fact that, just sometimes, nice guys do win. And it was a testament to George Margarson that after he had notched a 441-1 double here yesterday – instigated by A Touch Of Frost at 12-1 in the opening handicap and completed, with a touch of giant-killing, by 33-1 outsider Atavus in the Group Three Hungerford Stakes – it was not only his face wreathed in a broad smile but those of everyone around him, thwarted punters included.

Newmarket-based Margarson, 49, has an infectious enjoyment of the game, despite the total lack of silver spoons in his cutlery drawer and a grounding that would make a boot camp seem like five-star pampering. After a career as a journeyman jump jockey, he spent 15 years assisting Mick Ryan before embarking on his second life five years ago with just eight horses.

It has been something of a rollercoaster. An all-too-brief high spot in the spring of last year was followed by a plunge, culminating in the removal of the classy colt Barathea Guest from his yard and, despite the current upward swoop in his fortunes, Margarson's feet will never be anything but firmly on the ground.

Atavus, a rapidly improving handicapper, and apprentice jockey Jamie Mackay put a clutch of proven Group performers from large, fashionable stables and their senior riders firmly in their places. Mackay sat in front, setting a funereal pace that had his rivals tugging and unsettled, and then timed his kick in the straight to perfection to win the sprint for home by three-quarters of a length from Tamburlaine and Frankie Dettori, with Warningford and Kieren Fallon third.

It was the 18-year-old's first Group victory, although he has won other valuable races, notably the Bunbury Cup and the Tote International Stakes, both on Atavus, in the past six weeks. "As soon as I asked him to go, he just went whoosh," Mackay reported excitedly.

The progress of Atavus, a four-year-old son of Distant Relative, has been rags-to-riches and a classic case of one door opening as another closed. Soon after Barathea Guest was removed from Margarson's care, Atavus arrived in the yard – now home to 20 – after being bought at the sales for just 5,200 guineas. He has since won nearly £150,000 for the partnership of owners who placed their trust in his trainer.

The tough colt is, unsurprisingly, Margarson's darling. "I ride him out every morning, use him as my hack," the trainer said. "He doesn't turn a hair, he's brave and he could eat for England. He had a feed before we left Newmarket at six this morning and then we gave him a kilo of naked oats when we got here, and he not only licked to bowl clean but was looking in A Touch Of Frost's bucket as well. That's probably the secret – he's healthy, fit and hungry and, though it was his first Group race, he shouldn't have been a 33-1 shot. Those that just eat and gallop are a pleasure to have around and I wish I had another 10 like him."

Margarson's praise for Mackay's coolness under pressure was fully deserved. He could have replaced the youngster, who could not claim his 3lb allowance because of the status of the race, with the more experienced Philip Robinson, but stuck to the winning partnership. "He balances the horse so well," Margarson said. "Atavus has a rather scratchy action before he warms up and jockeys who don't know him tend to lose confidence in him. Jamie judged it just right, picked him up three out, drove for home two out and made his seniors look a bit ordinary."

Margarson's plan to aim Atavus at another valuable handicap, the Tote Trifecta at Ascot at the end of next month, is now likely to be scuppered by the handicapper, but A Touch Of Frost is being prepared as the understudy.

"I would like to hope that the handicapper might consider that the other horses in the Hungerford had deteriorated, rather than mine improved hugely, and also take into account the way the race panned out," he said, "but I might be a bit optimistic."

In the Geoffrey Freer Stakes, it was a case of the king is dead, long live the king. Last year's St Leger winner, Millenary, proved no match for one of the young pretenders to his Doncaster crown, Mr Combustible, who caught and passed him approaching the final furlong and stayed on to run out a ready two-and-a-half-lengths winner.

Since finishing a fine fourth in the Derby, the Barry Hills-trained colt had again chased Galileo's tail with an unavailing sixth place from the van in the Irish Derby. More conservative tactics and a step up in distance proved ideal.

"The St Leger has been marked as his target since he won at Chester in May," said Hills. "He stays very well and, although he was a bit fresh today, he will be spot-on for Doncaster."