Ayr 2.00 – 7F Maiden Stakes (Class 5) Good to Soft, Good in places
ZEALOUS was declared a non runner (going) leaving a field of ten to contest this maiden. The runners included two fillies and half of the field were newcomers.
STYLISH BOY was a slightly uneasy favourite. Having opened up at 2/1, he drifted out to 5/2 by the off. He had finished third here, beaten three lengths, on Good to Firm ground over 6F (the winner of that race next time out finished fourth, beaten three lengths in a Listed race). He had been due to run at York on Saturday but was declared a non runner because of the going (Good). There was some support for ROBINNEILLY (33/1 to 20/1) who had finished 2½ lengths behind STYLISH BOY here.
DUTCH HEIRESS, for Sir Mark Prescott, had been unplaced on her first two starts. She then finished second at Kempton after leading until about a furlong from home. The winner of that race holds a Group 1 entry later in the season. Today she employed the same tactics and this time they paid off as she made all to win by 1¼ lengths.
STYLISH BOY (Richard Fahey) finished in second place but whilst keeping on, he was never able to challenge. Purchased for 16000 guineas as a foal, he was then resold for 47000 euros as a yearling. He is the first foal from an unraced mare
TOBOGGAN’S FIRE finished in third, a further 1¼ lengths back having made good progress late on. Ann Duffield’s debutante is owner bred and from a mare who won between 12F and 18F (highest OR of 57). She has produced one winning foal, a 7F maiden.
ROBINNEILLY finished in fifth place, just over two lengths behind STYLISH BOY.
Chris Catlin: ‘We weren’t too worried about going back to grass as DUTCH HEIRESS ran well on it on her debut. She clearly likes soft ground. She was idling a little at the finish but is tough and keeps battling.’
Wetherby 2.15 – 7F Median Auction Maiden Stakes (Class 5) Good to Firm
ISLA ROSE was a non runner (runny nose) leaving ten runners. There were two fillies in the field and six of the runners were newcomers.
TAWAKKOL was sent off the odds on favourite, opening at 4/5 and being supported in to 4/7. He was the most experienced runner in the field and only last week, Mark Johnston had said ‘I made it clear I thought a lot of Tawakkol and I was a bit surprised that Champagne City turned him over at Beverley’. He had previously been placed in four of his five runs and on the most recent of these, in the Beverley race referred to, he had traded at 1.01 in running. There was some support for Ann Duffield’s newcomer, LORD MCGUFFY, from 50/1 to 33/1.
LAGENDA was sent off at 33/1 having finished a well beaten third at Wolverhampton on his second, and most recent start. The easy winner of that race finished fourth in a Class 2 nursery next time out. Today, Kevin Ryan’s colt was drawn on the extreme outside but got to the front after a furlong, was never headed and won by four lengths.
TAWAKKOL found trouble in running but stayed on well to grab second place close home.
RIOCA finished a further neck away in third place. On debut, she had finished third, 3¼ lengths behind TAWAKKOL in that Beverley race. More recently, she had finished second over course and distance in a Class 6 maiden.
LORD MCGUFFY was always behind and finished ninth.
Tom Queally, the rider of PRINCE OF ARRAN, unplaced, reported that the colt ran green. Paul Hanagan, the rider of TAWAKKOL, reported that the colt was denied a clear run.
Kevin Ryan: ‘LAGENDA is improving with each run. He was always going to be like that as he’s a bit gormless. Getting off in front here is a big advantage.’
Wolverhampton 6.10 – 6F Maiden Auction Stakes (Class 5) Standard
With SAKHASTIC being a non runner (travel), ten runners contested this maiden. The field consisted of one colt (making his debut) and nine fillies, of which two were debutantes.
SQUASH was sent off the 13/8 favourite, having opened on course at 2/1. Charlie McBride’s filly had been beaten six lengths on debut, when finishing fourth at Newmarket in a Class 4 maiden. In fact the market got this result spot on as the first three in the betting finished 1-2-3.
With two furlongs to go SQUASH and POULICHE were several lengths clear of the field who were headed by COMPANY ASSET. At the furlong pole SQUASH asserted and went on to win by 3¼ lengths while COMPANY ASSET stayed on to finish in second place.
POULICHE was a further 1¼ lengths away in third but she was over three lengths clear of the remainder.
SQUASH is out of a mare who was unplaced on both starts but is a full sister to a Group 3 winner in France at 6F. She had previously produced one winning foal, a 5F maiden.
COMPANY ASSET had finished third on debut behind a subsequent Listed race winner and then missed the break when finishing sixth in the Hilary Needler (Class 2). She then finished sixth in a Class 5 maiden. Purchased for £22000 as a yearling she is from a mare who won a 5F maiden and has produced winning foals at 6F and 7F (highest winning OR of 80).
POULICHE had finished eighth at Newbury on debut in a Class 4 maiden when it was reported that she was denied a clear run. She cost 6000 euros as a yearling and is from a mare who a maiden at 8F and has produced eight winning foals, the best of which won between 7F and 10F, including a Group 3 at 9F.
The Stewards noted that ROMANCINGTHESTONE, unplaced, had edged left momentarily approaching the three furlong marker causing PINCH A KISS, placed fourth, to be checked for a stride but after viewing a recording of the race they were satisfied that it did not involve a riding offence.
Luke Morris: ‘SQUASH had run well in a decent Newmarket maiden, so she was entitled to go well in a race like this. She is definitely going the right way.’
Windsor 7.00 – 5F Maiden Stakes (Class 5) Good to Soft
All eight declared runners went to post and the field was evenly split between colts and fillies. Half of the runners were making their debuts.
ALIZOOM was returned the 6/4 favourite. He had been backed on both of his first two starts finishing sixth of seven at Salisbury and then fifth at Kempton. On his most recent start, he had been runner up in a Class 5 maiden at Lingfield, beaten 2¾ lengths. The winner of that race finished second in a Class 4 novice stakes next time out. He had been declared a non runner in a nursery on Friday because of a bruised foot.
He had obviously made a full recovery from that injury as he made all and quickened clear from the furlong pole to win by 3¾ lengths.
HIGH SPEED finished in second place. She was the most experienced runner in the field having had four previous runs, the most recent being a nursery at Haydock over 6F.
JUSTICE ROCK was a further head away in third. He had been well beaten on both of his previous starts. Puchased for 75000 guineas as a yearling, he is from a mare who won at 6F, including a Listed race. She is yet to produce a winning foal.
Roger Varian: ‘ALIZOOM was a bit green in his first two starts but has got better with every race and I think he appreciated the slight ease here. He´ll be a fun nursery horse.’
Windsor 7.30 – 6F Maiden Stakes (Class 5) Good to Soft
APPROCAILLIS was a non runner (going) which meant that thirteen runners contested this maiden. There was one filly in the field and there were eight newcomers.
NOBLE PEACE started as the 11/8 favourite, having opened up on course at 6/5. Henry Candy’s colt had been off the track since May when he only just failed to make a winning debut, trading as short as 1.10 when finishing second at Goodwood in a Class 4 maiden. The third and sixth have both won maidens since. There was support for Richard Hannon’s newcomer, INLAND SEA (6/1 to 7/2) and David Evans’ ESSENAITCH (14/1 to 11/1 – having been as big as 25/1 on the morning of the race). The later had finished ninth over course and distance although the saddle slipped during that race.
Only a few of the runners got into contention and it was ESSENAITCH who emerged as the winner. Always prominent, he stayed on well to lead inside the final furlong and won by 1¼ lengths. Purchased for 13000 guineas as a yearling, he was then resold at a Breeze Up sale for 36000 guineas. His dam won at 7F and 8F in France and was placed in a Listed race over 10F, also in France.
DESTROYER was the most experienced of the runners with three starts under his belt. He had finished third at Haydock on the second of these, before finishing fifteenth in the Coventry Stakes (Group 2). Today he led for most of the race and finished second, although his cause was not helped when it was reported that his jockey dropped his whip close home.
Lydia Pearce’s gelding, MADDY’S DREAM on debut, started at 80/1 and finished in third place, a further neck away. His dam won an 8F selling handicap (OR of 52) and has yet to produce a winning foal.
INLAND SEA finished in fourth place and NOBLE PEACE was fifth.
The Stewards held an enquiry into the use of the whip by Sean Levey, the rider of DESTROYER, approaching two furlongs out. Having heard his evidence and viewed recordings of the race, they found him in breach of Schedule (B)6 Part 2 in that he used his whip above the permitted level. The Stewards suspended Levey for 4 days as follows: Sunday 2, Monday 3, Tuesday 4, and Wednesday 5 August 2015.
David Evans: ‘I fancied ESSENAITCH last week, but the saddle slipped, as anyone who watched the race would have known. He´s a good horse.’
News Update
Following LUMIERE’s win at Newmarket on Thursday, Darley Europe have added this to their website:
Sent off as the short-priced favourite to make a successful racecourse debut at Newmarket, this daughter of Shamardal could not have been more impressive, making all and winning by no fewer than six lengths. While no firm plans have yet been decided, a step up to seven furlongs shouldn’t present a problem for this filly who clearly has bags of speed. Lumiere is out of Screen Star, who was given a rating of 110p following an equally impressive debut victory at two.
Coolmore’s UK representative Kevin Buckley has advised some provisional plans for Glorious Goodwood:
‘At this moment in time it looks like AIR VICE MARSHAL is likely to take his place in the Vintage Stakes and, all being well, WASHINGTON DC will line up in the Molecomb and AIR FORCE BLUE will go for the Richmond after finishing a strong second in the Coventry.’
Timeform’s weekend update: Here are their specific comments regarding the 2yo performances:
Besides the Group 1 races at the July Festival it was the two-year-olds that impressed most. None more so than July Stakes winner Shalaa (116p), who surprised some, presumably including Frankie Dettori, in running out a taking winner. Given how quickly he has improved up to now, it’s not difficult to put his hanging left at the finish down to residual inexperience, without which he would have run out an even more convincing winner.
Shalaa is now leader on the road to be Europe’s top juvenile, though he remains behind Queen Mary winner Acapulco in the world’s pecking order. Acapulco is now on 117p, raised 1 lb after Basharah (104), fourth to her at Royal Ascot, was nosed out by Albany winner Illuminate (109) in the Duchess of Cambridge on Friday.
There were also a couple of significant maiden winners across the meeting. On Thursday, Lumiere was backed a though thought among Mark Johnston’s leading two-year-olds and won even more authoritatively than that would suggest. She goes straight in at 108p for her six-length victory, the form given extra strength by a time comparison with the first division of the same race 35 minutes earlier, won by the well-bred Salvo (86p). On Friday, another well-bred sort, Manaafidh, wasn’t quite so visually impressive but gave the impression of much more to come. He’s been rated 96P, suggesting he’ll be in Pattern races before the season is out.
Two Year Old Racing 2015 