Racing: African Sahara helps put Mountain on the map

African Sahara, a bargain buy, gave first-season trainer Debbie Mountain the third winner of her career in the Summer Mile Handicap here yesterday.

Mountain, who rents 20 boxes in Newmarket from fellow trainer Greg Chung, has called her base Sahara Stables in honour of the horse. As the 15 runners fanned wide out of the home turn, Gary Carter took the four-year-old towards the stands' side on the rain-softened ground. Those tactics turned the usual high-draw bias on its head with the first two home drawn four and five. Mountain said: "I bought him at the July sales last year for £3,500 but he has been on the go for a long time now and having won three races has definitely earned a holiday. He also won in my colours before I became a trainer and he has been a very good friend to me."

Ed Dunlop introduced a smart newcomer in Post And Rail who held on by a short-head from North Light, another Derby entry, in the Pacemaker Maiden Stakes.