WANTAGE trainer Henry Candy, who is set to field big-race runners Twilight Son and La Rioja at Royal Ascot later this week, breathed a sigh of relief after Iconic ended his barren run with a narrow success at Newbury.

The Kingston Warren handler had gone 40 days without a winner before the 25-1 shot defied a host of late challengers to take a mile handicap by a head from Weld Al Emerat under Oisin Murphy.

Candy said: “They have been running a lot better lately, but it is nice to get one in front.”

Now the veteran trainer is hoping La Rioja, a 16-1 chance for the Commonwealth Cup at Ascot on Friday, and Twilight Son, the 7-1 third favourite for Saturday’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes, will be able to step up on recent reappearances.

Twilight Son finished fifth when conceding weight to his rivals in the Duke of York Stakes, while La Rioja occupied the same position behind Quiet Reflection in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock.

East Ilsley trainer Hughie Morrison’s plan to combine a rare trip to Musselburgh with visiting family on the island of Islay paid off when Sweet Selection landed the Stobo Castle Ladies Day Gold Cup at the Scottish track on Saturday.

The four-year-old followed up last month’s Nottingham win by galloped home two lengths clear of Aldreth in the two-mile handicap under PJ McDonald.

Morrison, who has entered 40-1 outsider Fun Mac in the Gold Cup at Ascot tomorrow, completed a 21-1 across-the-card double when Senza Una Donna landed a claiming stakes at Leicester by a head under Robert Havlin.

It was the East Isley handler’s third winner in the space of 24 hours after Charlie Bennett got Pastoral Player up in the last strides to take a seven-furlong apprentice handicap at Goodwood by a head.

Jaywalker capped a successful comeback from a fractured pelvis for West Ilsley trainer Mick Channon when holding off Major Pusey by a length to take a five-furlong handicap at Sandown, with Charlie Bishop on board.

It sealed a 23-1 across-the-card double for the yard after Gratzie romped home by three and three-quarter lengths under George Baker in a mile handicap at Bath.

Channon and Bishop had also been in the winner’s enclosure earlier in the week at Yarmouth with Sixties Habana, while at Brighton Ettie Hart gave Irish apprentice Killian Hennessy a first winner in this country since joining the yard in March.

Elsewhere, Super Julius got off the mark for Blewbury trainer Eve Johnson Houghton with a pillar-to-post victory under John Fahy in a five-furlong novice stakes at Chester.