OPTIONS OPEN, a bargain basement purchase from the all conquering Godolphin operation, has Europe's richest handicap in his sights after proving his worth in fine style at York yesterday. The colt seized the Lawrence Batley Handicap and was immediately chopped four points to 10 to 1 joint favourite by the sponsors for the £75,000 Ladbroke (Ayr) Gold Cup.

Options Open came with a storming late run under Kieren Fall on to lead inside the final furlong and defeat the front running Cyrano's Lad by half a length.

The winner was surprisingly sold off by the Sheikh Mohammed's hugely successful Godolphin operation earlier this year and snapped up by Thirsk based Lynda Ramsden.

"He was very, very cheap and we thought there was going to be something wrong with his legs when we got him" said Mrs Ramsden's husband, Jack.

"But we've been able to find nothing wrong with him and he's gone from strength to strength.

This success means that Options 6pen will be required to shoulder 9st 5lb (including a 7lb penalty) at Ayr on September 21st.

Ramsden added: "It's going to be difficult with that sort of weight but he will be declared and will probably run as long as the ground is no slower than good."

Cyranos Lad emerged with plenty of credit and was cut to 12 to 1 (from 25s) by the sponsors for the Ayr race.

Jiyush, allotted 7st 13lb by the handicapper for the Cesarewitch, did his chances of winning the race no harm with a stout staying performance in the Batleys Cash and Carry Handicap.

The colt, whose trainer Tom Jones is in his final season, picks up a 4lb penalty for the Newmarket handicap as a result of his defeat of Midyan Blue. But Ladbrokes were impressed enough to cut his price to 16 to 1 (from 25s).

First season trainer Mark Polglase's high opinion of Lady Godiva was vindicated when the filly revealed plenty of potential in the Best Buy Products Maiden.

Polglase has ambitiously entered the daughter of Keen for the Fillies' Mile at Ascot at the end of the month.

"She's been working well with some of my older horses and it was a bit of a provisional entry at Ascot," said Polglase, who was registering his third success.

"It's unlikely that she will go for the race and a nursery is more her level. She'll probably have one more race before being put away for the season."

Walter Swinburn is gradually getting back into the swing after a life threatening injury and followed up his success at the Ebor meeting when steering Mohawk River to a comfortable victory in the Mayfield Bitter and Lager Maiden Stakes.

The half brother to smart French horse In The Wings was racing for only the second time, having been kept off the course by a series of setbacks.

Seventeens Lucky struck winning form for the first time this season when repelling Royal Ceilidh in the McIvor Scotch Whisky Handicap.

Plans to send the gelding hurdling may be shelved as a result of this gutsy performance.