Billesdon Brook gets back to winning ways in Chelmsford feature

Watch how the Richard Hannon-trained filly won the £75,000 Listed contest at the Essex track on Thursday night.

Billesdon Brook took advantage of a drop in class as last season’s 1,000 Guineas heroine belatedly got back to winning ways in the Listed Totepool Queen Charlotte Fillies' Stakes at Chelmsford on Wednesday night.

The Richard Hannon-trained filly was getting her head in front for the first time since her finest hour at Newmarket last year when, at 66-1, she won at the main expense of Laurens.

There looked no fluke about that success at the time but she was unable to add to that success during the remainder of the campaign. By contrast, Laurens went on to land four more races at the highest level.

Billesdon Brook had finished down the field in the Lockinge Stakes on her previous start, although she beat Lord Glitters and Beat The Bank home and that pair fought out the finish of the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

Who knows how Billesdon Brook might have fared had she also run in the first race of the Royal Meeting.

She certainly looked in rude health dropped to 7f at Chelmsford, travelling powerfully throughout and quickening up smartly when regular rider Sean Levey invited her to put her stamp on the £75,000 contest.

Those who kept the faith were rewarded at 5-1.

Do horses gain confidence from winning? It’s open to debate but perhaps we will find out the answer if Billesdon Brook takes up her entry in next month’s Group One Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket’s July Meeting.

Memories of that three-day festival had been revived earlier on the Chelmsford card when the remarkable Tropics, at 11 years young, won the 5f handicap off a rating of 103.

Dean Ivory’s warrior, twice runner-up in the July Cup at his peak, shows no sign of growing weary of the game.

He clearly has a soft spot for the Essex venue as it was his fifth win at the track since the start of last year.