HENRY CECIL had a million reasons to smile yesterday - and it was not because he had allowed himself the luxury of an afternoon off. Cecil did not go to Yarmouth but had he done so he would have witnessed Lear Express pushing him past the £1 million mark in win and place money for the season.
Cecil, whose lion's share of the cash has been earned by classic heroines Bosra Sham and Lady Carla and his Derby second Dushyantor, needed a further £888 prior to the Medler Maiden.
The Newmarket trainer was taking no chances, saddling both the odds-on Lear Express and the newcomer Welcome Parade. They finished respectively first and third split in a three-way photo by Royal Action, and the target was passed with just over £3,000 to spare.
Richard Hughes rode his first winners in Britain since he returned from an eight-day ban for irresponsible riding at Yarmouth earlier in the month when scoring on Silca's My Key and Bahamian Bounty.
Champion trainer Martin Pipe and jockey David Bridgwater stole the honours at Worcester yesterday with a 33 to 1 treble via wins for Million Dancer, Evangelica and Out Ranking.
