ODYSSEY Girl made an impressive racecourse debut at Newbury last Thursday, writes Dave Wright.

The grey, trained by Richard Spencer and with Jason Watson on board, won the Calders & Grandidge EBF Fillies' Novice Auction Stakes at 14/1.

He led home 13 rivals – the biggest field of the evening – having struck the front just inside the final furlong in the 6f contest, winning by half-a-length from another 14/1 shot, Fromnowon, ridden by Sean Levey for Richard Hannon.

The Levey/Hannon combination had won the previous race, the Mirage Signs EBF Novice Auction Stakes, with 7/1 chance Hard Nut, who was following up his victory at Chelmsford last month.

The top weight was giving 11lb to the runner-up Commit No Nuisance (5/2), the mount of Watson.

Levey went on to complete a double, courtesy of Away He Goes in the Kennet Centre Novice Stakes.

The jockey had to work his way through traffic and it wasn't until the final furlong when he got a clear run, quickening up smartly in the closing stages to secure a half-length victory on the 8/1 chance from Ismail Mohammed's yard.

The Newbury Weekly News Handicap over 10 furlongs saw top-weight Match Maker (9/2) make the headlines at the main expense of the bottom weight, Star Fighter (7/1), winning by three quarters of a length.

Ridden by James Doyle, Simon Crisford's four-year-old was following up his win at Ayr last month.

Highland Sky, the outsider of five runners, was a 10/1 winner of the Bombay Sapphire Handicap after coming through from the rear and staying on well.

Ridden by Steve Donahue and trained David Simcock, Highland Sky finished half a length ahead clear of 11/10fav Tamachan, who had been in the front two for most of the 1m5½f race.

Local jockey Martin Dwyer won the Donnington Grove Veterinary Group Handicap on the progressive Yimou (9/2), trained by Dean Ivory, who led throughout the six-furlong contest to beat Across The Sea (9/2) by one-and-a-half lengths.

Ragstone View showed his liking for Newbury by winning the one-mile Newbury Nuffield Health Gym Amateur Riders' Handicap

in the hands of Pat Millman, riding for his father, Rod. The 11/1 chance's previous win had come at the same track in June of last year, 11 outings ago.

The quality of racing hots up at Newbury tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday for a meeting that is one of the highlights of the track's Flat season with Saturday's seven-race card featuring the £250,000 Weatherbys Super Sprint and the JLT Cup.