WHEN your luck's out, it's out. Just ask Patrick Chamings and if he could talk, Spanish Star would no doubt concur.

But it finally turned for both last week with the Baughurst trainer saddling two winners and the six-year-old finally getting his reward for consistency, as figures of 32223 in his previous five outings would testify.

"This is a horse who thoroughly deserved his win," remarked the jubilant Chamings in Newbury's unsaddling enclosure after taking the seven-furlong handicap.

"He has run well all season and finishing second and third doesn't do you any favours with the handicapper but it was his turn today."

The six-year-old is a little bit of a tricky customer, one that has to be produced late and needs knowing. "He must be held onto until as long as possible and when you have a jockey riding with confidence, well that helps," he said, alluding to David Probert who in three days had racked up nine winners.

Despite being slowly away, Spanish Star moved smoothly into position on the outside of the ten-runner field two furlongs out before easing to the front 100 yards out to win more comfortably than the winning distance of three quarters of a length would suggest.

Chamings, frustrated by what he termed a "phenomenal" number of seconds this season, will be - unlike holidaymakers - hoping for more unsettled weather for Spanish Star. "He's versatile but excels on soft ground."

At Salisbury the previous afternoon, the Inhurst Farm Stables trainer had witnessed hitherto nine-race maiden Magical Dragon finally get off the mark when running away with the one-mile handicap.

"Thrilled," was his understandable reaction to his 50/1 winner. "We went too far with him last time and a mile is obviously his best trip."

Jockey Henry Crouch agreed: "Patrick was quite confident beforehand. I know it's easy to say that with hindsight, but he was pleased with his performance and the drop back to this stiff mile worked out perfectly well. He was off the bridle throughout but the further he went, the better he went."