NEWBURY’S series of evening meetings have been a happy hunting ground for Blewbury trainer Eve Johnson Houghton.

Scarlet Dragon made it a fourth consecutive winner at the last of the four Thursday evening fixtures for her Woodway stables when roaring to an impressive four-and-a-half lengths victory from Bedrock in a mile and a quarter handicap under Jim Crowley.

The three-year-old had scored at the Berkshire track two weeks earlier, while Johnson Houghton has also struck there with Funky Footsteps and Golden Wedding.

“It has become my lucky track - every Thursday night we have had a winner,” said the delighted trainer.

“He showed a real turn of foot. He loves that fast ground. He won last time in spite of the trip and the ground.”

Johnson Houghton also enjoyed success with Fantasy Queen, who gained a short-head success in a seven-furlong fillies’ handicap at Chepstow under John Fahy, and Ice Age in a six-furlong handicap at Windsor, with Robert Winston on board.

Over the jumps, Noel Williams saddled his first winner since moving his string across Blewbury to Churn Stables from his old White Shoot yard in May when Authorized Too gave champion jockey Richard Johnson a 39th birthday present by taking a two-mile handicap hurdle at Worcester.

Back on the Flat, East Ilsley trainer Hughie Morrison staged a successful cross-Channel raid when Nearly Caught captured a Listed prize at Deauville.

The six-year-old, who finished third in last month’s Northumberland Plate at Newcastle, made all the running in the hands of Umberto Rispoli to capture the Prix du Carrousel over a mile and seven furlongs by five lengths from Minotaur.

Morrison also struck at two separate Lingfield meetings with Remember Me and Excellent Sounds capturing seven-furlong handicaps under Harry Bentley and Crowley respectively, while Pastoral Star made all the running to land a Ffos Las selling stakes with Edward Greatrex on board.

West Ilsley trainer Mick Channon sent out Racemaker and Blacklister to follow up their wins of the previous weekend by scoring at Catterick and Carlisle.

Racemaker was bought for £10,000 by Middleham handler Andy Crook after taking a seven-furlong selling stakes by a length in the hands of Charlie Bishop, while Paul Mulrennan did the steering as Blacklister stormed home by two and a quarter lengths in a mile and a furlong handicap.

Brave Archibald bounced back to winning ways for Paul Cole’s Whatcombe yard with victory in a mile and a quarter handicap at Leicester, with Danny Tudhope on board.