By Peter Moore at Brighton 24th August 2026

Picture by Peter Moore

Former Racing Post writer Ian Carnaby’s final sponsorship at Brighton could not have ended in more dramatic fashion when Liberate and Crimson Road dead heated in the 1m 2f handicap at Brighton on Monday.

Carnaby, was ending a long association with the Sussex course after sponsoring races on the card for 30 years.

Nothing could separate the Jim and Suzi Best-trained Liberate and John and Rhys Flint-trained Crimson Road after a lengthy photo-finish adjudication, and the connections behind both runners were relieved to share the spoils.

Liberate’s owner John Joseph Smith told Sky Sports Racing: “I thought we were beat; we’ve only just got her, so this was a pleasant surprise. People said to me it favours the far side and I was thinking that’s my luck if we’re beat! We’ll settle for a dead-heat.”

Rhys Flint said: “It’s hard to win one race a year, let alone the three in a row that he’s done, so we’ll definitely take a dead-heat. We’re chuffed to bits with him and we’ve got to enjoy days like this.”

Liberate’s rider William Carson completed a double after steering the 22-1 outsider Berning Hot, trained by Michael Attwater, in the concluding 7f handicap to victory.

Archie Watson’s long wait for a winner was ended after Rogue Imperial took the opener under Harry Davies’s only ride of the day to give the Lambourn trainer his first winner in the last 42 runners.

Saffie Osborne and Em Four defied a pre-race mishap to take the 5½f handicap for father Jamie.

The four-year-old unshipped Osborne on the way to the start, but was on his best behaviour in the race to score by three and a quarter lengths.

Em Four is trained and owned by Osborne’s father Jamie to give the Upper Lambourn trainer his 24th winner of the current campaign.

James Bennett is normally associated with his popular racehorse transport business but does have a small string of just three horses. One over the jumps and two on the flat.

It was the turn of Dark Sun to be successful today after finishing in the frame in the last four runs without winning.

The four-year-old has started slowly in her past three runs, but today under Laura Coughlan she got off to the perfect start before being held up in touch then pushed along to make good progress over a furlong out to lead in the final furlong and ran on to win by one and a quarter lengths.

Dalmally’s sole success came over C&D back in 2024. However, two of his better efforts have also been at Brighton.

Having dropped back into a 0-55 company benefited the four-year-old who took the 1m handicap by a length from King David.