Eternal all heart in Shield

Eternal Heart battled on bravely to beat King Of Wands and Junoob in a thrilling finish to the Stobart Doncaster Shield on Town Moor.

Mark Johnston’s runner (5-2) looked booked for third spot when he was headed by those two rivals, but he rallied in game fashion for Joe Fanning to get the better of the argument by half a length from King Of Wands.

“I’m thrilled to bits. Half a furlong from home I thought we’d be third at best, but he’s very game,” said the trainer’s son Charlie.

“We’ve got a lot of history with his family. He’s a half-brother to Yavana’s Pace, who won a Group One at the age of 10. He’s put his head down and galloped. Joe said this mile and a half was his minimum trip.

“We’ve hoped for a while we’d have a Cup horse on our hands one day, maybe this year, maybe next, he’s a proper horse and a real fighter.”

Colonel Mak (33-1) bounced back to form on his return to the turf after an unsuccessful spell on the all-weather with an emphatic success in the New William Hill iPhone App Handicap.

Fourth in last year’s Ayr Gold Cup, the David Barron-trained sprinter bounded clear under 5lb claimer Luke McNiff to beat Advanced by a length and three-quarters, with King Of Jazz close up third and Docofthebay fourth.

McNiff said: “He just didn’t take to the all-weather like we thought he would, but he’s come back to form here and he’s a good horse on his day. I was told to hang on to him as long as I could. I gave him some rein, he quickened up and I kept him going.”is day,” said McNiff.

Marco Botti’s Kingsdesire (6-1) followed his Kempton debut triumph by giving weight all round in the EquinITy Powered By Garmin Handicap under Adam Kirby.