Amron, who gained his first success way back in April 1989, is still going strong and put his younger rivals in their place in the Faithful and Gould Handicap at Redcar yesterday.

Apprentice Paul Bradley sent the remarkable 12-year-old into the lead two furlongs out and he skipped clear in the mud to pass the post with five lengths to spare over Sand Hawk.

Trainer Jack Berry was represented by his son Alan who said: "We will just keep him going, we have no option really because he gets miserable if we turn him out and really enjoys being in training."

It was a day of mixed fortunes for apprentice Robert Winston who gained a cheeky success on Blushing Grenadier but later picked up a three-day suspension for his riding of Ameena.

Winston partnered the unplaced Ameena in the Tote Fillies' Stakes and the stewards found that she had interfered with Bridal White a furlong after the start and that it was as a result of irresponsible riding of a minor nature.

He will be sidelined on May 19th, 20th and 21st, but his boss, Richard Fahey, was far from happy with the decision.

He reasoned: "From the evidence of the film, it was not possible to tell whether Ameena was clear of the other horse or not and therefore they should have given Robert the benefit of the doubt. It was a very harsh decision but I am not appealing, it would be a waste of time."

The Tote Fillies' Stakes went to David Barker's bargain buy Mai Tai, who was scoring for the second time - under a good ride from Kimberley Hart - since being bought for only 1,800 guineas at Newmarket in October.