Thursday 25 June
Hamilton 6.40 – 6F Maiden Auction Stakes (Class 5) Good
Seven runners contested this maiden. The field included three fillies and there were three newcomers.
The Mark Johnston yard had won this race for the last two years and MARTINI TIME was their representative in the quest for a hat trick. She had been put in as the even money favourite last night but opened up on course at 7/4 and drifted out to 5/2 by the off. FORCE AWAKENS (Richard Fahey) opened up at 3/1 and was supported in to start as the 9/4 favourite. There was also support for Keith Dalgliesh’s debutante CANDY HILL, 7/1 to 5/1.
MARTINI TIME had been disappointing last time out at Pontefract when an odds on favourite but had previously made a promising debut at Haydock finishing second (the winner next time out finished as runner up in the Albany Stakes (Group 3). FORCE AWAKENS had finished fourth on debut at Leicester.
By the furlong pole, the two market leaders had pulled away from the remainder of the runners and were set to battle out the finish. FORCE AWAKENS was on top but MARTINI TIME got up close home to win by a neck.
FORCE AWAKENS cost 11000 euros as a yearling and is from an unraced mare, whose only other foal to race remained a maiden after six starts.
Afterwards Johnston said of his filly: ‘She’s still looking very backward so we won’t be rushing to run her again. Joe [Fanning] always seemed to think he was going to win so he wasn’t too hard on her.
Newbury 7.00 – 6F Win Races With Jonathan Portman Maiden Auction Fillies Stakes (Class 4) Good to Firm
All fifteen declared runners stood their ground for this contest which included eight newcomers. Jonathan Portman, sponsoring the race, supplied two of the runners, MAGIC GARDEN and a newcomer, POSTER GIRL.
LITTLE SWIFT (David Simcock) who had been available to back at 9/2 last night, opened up on course at 2/1 and was further supported in to start as the 13/8 favourite. Fourth on debut, she was finishing best at Pontefract, a neck behind MAGIC GARDEN who was third. There was also some support for Eve Johnson Houghton’s debutante, CUSTODIAL, (10/1 to 8/1) and also for AFRICAN SHOWGIRL (25/1 to 16/1). This is the the third time George Baker’s filly had been supported before the off.
The clue to finding the winner was in the name of the race but it was the Portman newcomer who stayed on well and got up in the last strides to pip the favourite. POSTER GIRL was sent off at 25/1. She had cost £12000 as a yearling and is from a mare who won a 6F maiden. She has produced one previous winning foal at 7F and 8F (highest winning OR of 62).
LITTLE SWIFT had been the widest of all the runners, coming down the centre of the track. She had taken the lead over two furlongs out and kept on well from then, trading at a low of 1.08 in defeat. She was purchased as a foal for 10000 euros and was resold as a yearling for £18000. Her dam won between 7F and 8F (highest winning OR of 80) and LITTLE SWIFT is her first foal to race.
ZEEONEANDONLY had the benefit of the stands side rail throughout and made most of the running and she finished third, 4½ lengths away. These have been her tactics for her last three runs, most recently at Salisbury, and she traded at a low of 2.22 today.
Sam Hitchcott, the rider of MAGIC GARDEN, reported that the filly hung left. David Probert, the rider of POULICHE, reported that the filly was denied a clear run. Luke Morris, the rider of LOVE OR FEAR, reported that the filly was slowly away.
Newbury 7.30 – 7F Maiden Fillies Stakes (Class 4) Good to Firm
Thirteen fillies for this maiden race and only two of the runners had raced before.
Whilst it was a open betting market, the two principals received support on course. The second favourite OUT OF THE DARK (Richard Hannon) opened at 11/2 and was supported in to 9/2 but there was more sustained support for HEROIC HEART from 7/1 to 4/1. John Gosden’s filly had finished tenth on her debut at Doncaster. From the subsequent runners in that race, four horses have been placed and the other won a Class 5 maiden before finishing sixth in a Listed race.
HEROIC HEART set out to make all and very nearly did so as she was collared near to the finish, trading at a low of 1.11 in defeat.
However, it was VICENNALIA who won the race by a neck. The Godolphin / Charlie Appleby newcomer tracked the leader and was shaken up over two furlongs out. It didn’t seem that she would get to the leader but finally got up close home, having traded at a high of 55 in running. She cost $500000 as a yearling and is from a mare who won five times in USA, including a Grade 3 race at 8F and was also placed at Grade 2 level. Her only other foal to race has won a maiden at 8F in USA.
HEROIC HEART is out of a mare who was placed twice in five starts in Ireland. She has produced winners from 8F to 12F (highest winning OR of 96).
WRAPPED (William Haggas) stayed on to finish third a further 1¾ lengths away. She cost 110000 guineas as a yearling and is from a mare who won a 6F maiden. A full brother won at 5F and 6F, including a Listed race in UAE; other siblings have won up to 10F.
Pat Dobbs, the rider of OUT OF THE DARK, unplaced, reported that the filly missed the break.
News Update
Following EXPERTO CREDE’s win at Newmarket earlier today, assistant trainer Jack Steels said: ‘As he was from the breeze-up sales he was more forward than the most of the other two-year-olds. We have always liked him and Antonio Fresu said that he did it nicely. Ed [Walker] said that as he won nicely he would think about coming back here for the July Stakes.’
Paul Mulrennan has a weekly column on Racing UK. Here are his comments regarding his recent and future 2yo rides:
I am adamant that Easton Angel could have given Acapulco a race in the Queen Mary if she had been drawn nearer the winner. We were out on a limb and raced alone for the last furlong and a half. She made up a lot of ground on the American horse and galloped strongly past the line. She ran a cracking race and showed she belongs in Group company.
On Saturday, I ride a Mark Johnston two-year-old debutante, Plagiarism, in the opening five-furlong maiden, and Mark could win with a donkey right now. He is flying, especially with his youngsters.
Two Year Old Racing 2015 