Angel Voices belated present for Cannon; HAMILTON.

Byline: by Ray Gilpin

DECLAN CANNON collected a belated birthday present when he brought the Karl Burke-trained Angel Voices home an all-way winner of round four of the Pertemps-sponsored 'hands and heels' apprentice series.

Cannon, who turned 21 on Saturday, moved into the lead in the series with this success and he said: "Angel Voices had good form as a two-year-old and finished third to Dylan Thomas at Leopardstown on her second run.

"She's been good to me, as I've won twice on her on the all-weather at Kempton."

Burke's representative Nigel Hamilton said of the winner, who carries the colours of Burke's wife Elaine: "We were a bit worried about the ground as she'd never run on it before, but the boss told Declan to ride a race on her and it worked out well."

Neil Brown, in second place behind William Buick in the apprentice championship, took his score for the turf season to 28 on the Howard Johnson-owned-and-trained Warrior One in the 1m1/2f novice juvenile event.

This was another all-the-way success, Brown judging things nicely, having kept enough up his sleeve to hold off the challenge of favourite High Alert by a length and three-quarters.

Brown said: "That is my second winner for Mr Johnson. I didn't want to make the running really, but he's done it well."

Michael Dods came close to pulling Five Wishes out of the 1m1/2f claimer, but he decided to run the four-year-old and the filly supplemented her course-and-distance win this month in game fashion under apprentice PJ McDonald. However, he picked up a one-day suspension (August 27) for careless riding.

Dods said: "It was a poor race, but she battled on well. We nearly pulled her out, but we thought we might as well run as she was here. It took her a long time to win a race and now she's won two in a row."

Tony Culhane gave the William Haggas-trained Insaaf an enterprising ride to land the featured 1m1/2f handicap for fillies in good style, passing the post three lengths ahead of Badalona, with Nutkin, Jamie Spencer's only ride of the evening, seven lengths further adrift in third.

Insaaf, carrying the colours of Hamdan Al Maktoum, had parted company with Culhane when she slipped in the parade ring, and the jockey said: "Mr Haggas was very complimentary about her and said I should ride her positively.

She loved the ground."

It was a night to remember for local builder Bill McEvoy as he watched Angle Of Attack win the 5f handicap under Silvestre De Sousa.

Angle Of Attack is trained by Alan Brown, who said: "I was advised to buy this horse by Robin O'Ryan, and we got him at Newmarket.

This is the first horse Bill has owned and was badly drawn when beaten on his first run for him at Catterick."

Paul Mulrennan earned his fee on the Sir Mark Prescott-trained Astrodome, who made virtually all in a slog for the concluding 1m4f handicap.

Star performances

Neil Brown on Warrior One, and Paul Mulrennan on Astrodome share the honours