William Haggas’ Hamish maintained his flawless record at York to land the John Smith’s Silver Cup Stakes.
The seven-year-old was the 4-9 favourite under Tom Marquand and brought to the Knavesmire two wins from two runs and a remarkably consistent record.
A past injury has prevented him from running on quick ground, but rain on Friday and a deluge on Saturday left conditions to his liking.
Throughout the course of the Group Three his chances did come under some doubt, however, as he looked further back than ideal heading into the home straight and had to throw down a challenge two furlongs from home.
Brian Ellison’s Tashkhan and Milton Harris’ Scriptwriter both battled all the way, but it was Hamish who prevailed when passing the post a head before the latter.
Maureen Haggas, assistant to her husband, said: “He’s a great horse and he got Tom out of a bit of trouble today, they just went too slowly and he likes a fast pace but it all went all right in the end and that’s the main thing!
“We’re restricted to how we campaign him because of the ground, he’s had problems along the way so we need to keep him to slow ground – it’s got to have soft in it really.
“He’s a pretty nice horse, as a four-year-old he ran in the Hardwicke and ran a really nice race.
“That was when he injured himself, he’s a classy horse. We’re lucky that at the age of seven, I suppose because we’ve been restricted, he hasn’t got many miles on the clock and he’s still going strong. Last year he was a good as ever.
“It’s hard when you don’t run them and they stay at home doing the same thing, but we’re lucky that he’s pretty straightforward. We know him so well now that we can gauge what we should and shouldn’t do with him.
“He’s just a lovely horse and we’re lucky to have him.”
The weather will guide connections as to where Hamish runs next. He holds entries for the King George, the Irish St Leger and the Ebor.
Haggas said: “He’s in the Irish St Leger, he’s in everything in case it rains! He handles really horrible conditions whereas a lot of the classier horses don’t so we will see what the weather does and go where the ground suits him.”
Andrew Balding’s Nymphadora was a ready winner of the John Smith’s City Walls Stakes.
The bay was one of only two fillies in the field for the Listed five-furlong contest, starting at 7-1 under Jason Watson.
She broke quickly from the stalls and ran prominently, leading from a furlong out and then keeping on well to come home a length and three-quarters ahead of Karl Burke’s Silky Wilkie.
“We knew from her recent form that she’d want some cut in the ground and there’s been plenty of rain here today and the last couple of days,” said Watson.
“It’s really got into the ground and she’s got course form, she won the Marygate.
“She’s a classy filly on her day and when conditions suit.
“You can see from the physique she’s got that she’s quite well balanced, she’s not the biggest but she’s very well balanced and nimble on her feet.
“There’s hopefully plenty more to come.”
Blue For You outdid last season’s effort to land the John Smith’s Racing Handicap for Danny Tudhope and David O’Meara.
A 7-2 chance, the chestnut was second in the race when beaten just half a length and is another with a fine record on the Knavesmire, having been in the top two three times from four efforts.
That record was further improved this time when he ran a patient race to pull clear in the final furlong and prevail by a comfortable three lengths.
“It was grand, he’s a really nice horse and he travelled very nicely today,” O’Meara said.
“At Ascot last time he boiled over and probably ran his race before he got to the start, but he likes it here and could come back for the big meeting and go Goodwood in between.”
Specific Times then took the John Smith’s Nursery Handicap at 11-1 for Jason Hart and Charlie Johnston, after which the John Smith’s Stayers’ Handicap went the way of Robert Johnson for Connor Beasley and Phil Kirby as the 11-4 favourite.
Shaquille shot to the sprinting summit at Newmarket as Julie Camacho’s speedster doubled his big-race tally in the Pertemps Network July Cup Stakes.
The three-year-old was competing in handicap company on the weekend of the opening Classics of the season – but he has since announced himself as a star of the division and having taken the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, he took the sting out of his elders here on Newmarket’s July course.
In scenes reminiscent of Ascot, Shaquille bunny-hopped as the gates opened, giving away plenty of ground.
However, while at Ascot Oisin Murphy had time to creep his way into contention, Shaquille was not hanging around on the wide expansive track at HQ on this occasion and pulled his way to the front to eyeball the front-running Art Power.
With two furlongs to run Rossa Ryan let the 5-2 joint-favourite have his head and the duo soon set about putting the race to bed.
Although Henry Candy’s Run To Freedom and Ralph Beckett’s Kinross were breathing down his neck in the final furlong, Shaquille was never slowing down and kept on strongly in the closing stages to come home a length-and-a-half clear of the runner-up.
Shaquille had given his Yorkshire-based team of Camacho and her husband Steve Brown their first Group One victory at Ascot and after quickly doubling their tally, he provided his jockey with his finest hour, too, with Ryan, who only picked up the ride on Thursday, tasting top-level success for the first time.
It could be the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock next and both Betfair and Paddy Power make the winner their 7-4 favourite.
Biggles was rewarded for his consistency in landing the bet365 Bunbury Cup at Newmarket, with Ryan Moore again superb in the saddle.
The six-year-old showed plenty of distain for his rivals, drawing readily clear in the seven-furlong contest after hitting the front inside the final furlong.
The Ralph Beckett-trained gelding won four times last year on different ground over seven furlongs, with his trainer adding that he had got it wrong when sending him over an extended mile earlier in his career.
Runner-up in the Victoria Cup at Ascot, he returned to the Berkshire track and finished ninth in the Buckingham Palace at the Royal meeting.
However, he never looked in any danger once Moore got into contention on the rain-softened ground and the 5-1 shot had two lengths to spare over Ropey Guest, who was occupying the same position as 12 months ago. Awaal, the 7-2 favourite, was a head back in third.
Beckett said: “He has been a phenomenally consistent horse all his life. I got it wrong a couple of times.
“I was really pleased with the way he was going today. He jumped a bit keen and Ryan had to get him in behind one or two. Ryan thought he would win throughout.
“Rain really helped yesterday and last night. Actually, I’m not sure he needs it now, but he is more effective on it, I was just delighted with the way it worked out. When a horse is as consistent as he is, it is kind of hard to win these sorts of handicaps, isn’t it?
“He’s a model of consistency. I tried a mile and that wasn’t very clever, that didn’t work. He has always been capable of doing this, I just had to place him to do it.
“Maybe he will go to Ascot at the end of the month for the International (Handicap), but that’s quick for him. I don’t know.
“He needs a strong gallop, so do we go up to small fields and stakes races? Will that help? Six or seven (furlongs), really. I’m not going a mile again, but we’ll enjoy today.”
City Of Troy shot to the top of next year’s 2000 Guineas betting after confirming his class with a destructive display in the bet365 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien, the regally-bred son of Triple Crown hero Justify looked a real talent on debut at the Curragh earlier this month and immediately took the jump up to Group Two level in his stride as he dazzled on Newmarket’s July course.
Having travelled like the consummate professional in the early stages of this seven-furlong event, Ryan Moore wasted little time in asking his mount to stride on passing the two-furlong marker, where the response was electric as he soon took lengths out of his rivals.
Moore kept up the momentum inside the final furlong as City Of Troy skipped further and further clear of his pursuers, with six and a half lengths separating the Ballydoyle youngster and Richard Hannon’s Haatem in second at the winning post.
His effort saw him leap over stablemate River Tiber at the head of the Classic market, and already-short post-race prices for the Guineas quickly came under pressure, with Coral’s 7-2 not lasting long before becoming 5-2. Paddy Power quoted 4-1 about the Derby.
O’Brien said: “He’s unusual. Very unusual. It’s unbelievable, really. Dean (Gallagher) rides him out every day and has done a wonderful job. He’s just so natural. He has an unbelievable rhythm and an unbelievable mind. He looks a very special horse.
“He floats effortlessly. He is very happy to get a lead, very happy to go forward. Ryan said it never happened to him before what happened at the Curragh the last day going to the wall. He said he wasn’t going to get him pulled up.
“Even today, crossing the line, he was still heading off. He will be better on top of the ground – he’s a good-ground horse.
“I came here not to run him (because of the easy ground), but the lads said let him run, because we have to find out for the future because if the ground does turn what we can do. So, it was the right decision, I’m delighted for them.
“He’s after travelling now, that’s what we always try to do. He obviously has all the races now as he matures, the Futurity, the National Stakes, the Dewhurst, all those sort of races are open to him now.
“Obviously, as you can see, he has loads of speed, so a mile should be no problem to him. The way he cruises, and with his action and everything. We know about Justifys, they are all Classic-bred horses. It is very exciting, really.”
He added: “He is a lovely looking horse. We have River Tiber and some lovely horses. They are obviously a nice team of horses there, so I’m delighted for the lads.
“He kept going again, didn’t he (after the line)? He is just unusual. Very unusual.”
Pride Of America just held on to prevail in a thrilling finish to the John Smith’s Cup at York.
Trained by Amy Murphy, the six-year-old has always been a solid operator for the Southgate Stables handler and was seen to good effect landing a competitive Chester handicap earlier in the campaign.
Out of luck when tackling Group company in France last month, Pride Of America was sent off at 18-1 to bounce back on the Knavesmire off a career-high rating and pulled out all the stops when it mattered.
Having shadowed Andrew Balding’s Nobel to near the head of proceedings entering the home straight, he was soon embroiled in a sustained battle with that unexposed four-year-old and Ed Dunlop’s Haunted Dream.
Entering the final furlong Nobel’s challenge began to falter and although Pride Of America appeared to have Haunted Dream covered, it was Daniel and Claire Kubler’s Astro King who emerged on the scene under with looked a winning run.
There was little to separate the pair as they flashed past the winning post, but it was the mount of 3lb apprentice Frederick Larson who got the nod after a tense wait for the photo-finish, with a nose the official winning distance.
Murphy has won a Grade One over fences thanks to the popular Kalashnikov and has also tasted Listed success in France, but the win marked the biggest Flat success of her career on home soil.
She said: “I’m absolutely ecstatic, there’s no better feeling than when a horse like him, who takes a lot of training and managing, grabs a big prize like that.
“It’s unbelievable and I’m thrilled for the owners and the whole team.
“This has been his target since March, but he does need a bit of cut in the ground. I couldn’t imagine we were going to get cut in the ground in the middle of July, it was a bit of a worry and no one was doing a bigger rain dance than me!”
Of the wait for the photo to be announced, she added: “It was horrific! You can probably tell from my voice that I’ve probably done a lot of screaming in the last five minutes, but thankfully it’s gone our way.
“The owners are my biggest supporters and I’m just thrilled to be able to repay them.
“Today was the target, we’ll just enjoy today and worry about the rest afterwards!”
The Rossdales British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes invariably produces some nice types and the aptly-named Race The Wind could prove to be another after she made light of very blustery conditions to score with some ease at Newmarket.
William Buick always had the Charlie Appleby-trained daughter of Too Darn Hot to the fore in the seven-furlong contest, in which Aidan O’Brien’s Content was a non-runner, and took advantage of a stands rail passage to account for the promising Get Jiggy With It by three-quarters of a length.
Though Buick felt the winner was coming to the end of her tether in the closing stages, owing to the rain-softened ground, she clearly showed improvement from finishing fourth to stablemate Dance Sequence on her first run over course and distance a fortnight ago.
After welcoming in the 5-4 favourite, Appleby said: “It has been one of those weeks. We have started the first race with a winner and been chipping away since!
“She’s a nice filly, who showed a little bit on her first run. She is still weak, but she used that experience to good use there and travelled nicely.
“You’d toy with whether you should come back in trip, but it is probably weakness to be fair. Maybe we will give her a little bit of time to fill that frame a bit.
“Looking at her, time won’t do her any harm. Even when she ran here in her maiden, which we won with a nice filly in Dance Sequence, James (Doyle) just thought she wasn’t the strongest just going through the line. She has obviously got a nice engine.”
He added: “I think a mile will probably be her maximum. I think we will stick to the seven (furlongs) this year and we might toy with a stiff six.”
Appleby, Buick and Godolphin were on the mark again in the bet365 Mile Handicap when top-weight Highbank decided it was one of his going days.
Though he had acquitted himself well in three starts in Dubai, he had been well held in the Britannia at Royal Ascot.
Buick rode him with confidence this time and the 11-1 shot drew readily clear to score by three lengths from Quantum Impact.
“He is a bit of a character, to be fair,” said Appleby. “He broke his maiden here very impressively last year and everyone was getting quite excited after that. But he never really fulfilled the potential we thought he might have.
“The intention was to drop him in and ride him with plenty of confidence and see whether he wants to participate or not at the business end – and thankfully he has.
“We haven’t really got any future plans. We were looking at Dubai again, needless to say. That will probably be his future.
“He has always had the engine – it has always been whether he wants to do it, is the honest answer.”
Naomi Lapaglia is highly regarded by trainer Richard Spencer and while she has taken time to flourish this season, she took the Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa Fillies’ Handicap in good style under experienced South African jockey Greg Cheyne.
Down the field in the Qipco 1000 Guineas, she also produced a lacklustre effort at Goodwood, but relished this drop back to seven furlongs to score by a length from In These Shoes at 5-1.
Spencer said: “She has got a lot of talent, but things haven’t really gone right. We didn’t get a run into her before the Guineas which showed, as she was gassy and ran with the choke out.
“She has got it all together today and done it well. We will go little steps with her, but hopefully she will end up being in black-type company towards the end of the year.”
Asadna could head to France for his first run for Alice Haynes after he produced a solid piece of work over six furlongs at Newmarket on Saturday morning.
A runaway Ripon winner on debut, he was subsequently ninth of 20 to River Tiber in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The Mehmas colt, owned by Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah, then joined Haynes from fellow Newmarket trainer George Boughey last month.
Haynes is just getting to know him and has given him an entry in the Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury next weekend.
However, he is more likely to head to France.
Haynes said: “Asadna has done two pieces of work for us now, the first on the Watered Gallop yesterday. I liked what I saw. We gave him a Rose Bowl entry today.
“It will be a case of seeing what the ground does – he needs top of the ground, so we could be going for a Group Three in France at the end of the month, or Goodwood.
“We will see what the ground does. He worked six furlongs under Kieren Fallon this morning.
“I think the Rose Bowl could be an option, although it comes slightly quickly. He will do another piece on Tuesday and see, but the main thing is he definitely needs good to firm ground, which I’m not sure we will (get) – it keeps raining, doesn’t it?”
Karen Anderson, president of Jamaica Squash Association is anticipating some quality performances from the country’s rising sensations when the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Junior Championships gets under way in St. Vincent & the Grenadines later today.
Whether or not their performances will translate into medals, is left to be seen, but Anderson is confident that the 15-member team is well prepared to give a good account of themselves at the one-week championships.
Defending champions Guyana are favoured to retain their title, with last year’s runners-up Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, also expected to lay down tough challenges.
The championship comprises individual events for boys and girls competing in the Under-13, Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19, with a new doubles feature being introduced for the first time this year. There will also be a team event for boys and girls across the respective age groups.
Jamaica’s team comprises the likes of Under-15 Caribbean champion Mehar Trehan and Under-17 champion Katherine Risden, who has now moved up to the Under 19 age group, as well as Sanjanna Nallapati and Savannah Thomson, who are both ranked third in the Under-17 age group.
“We have some pretty good players on the girls’ side which means our chances of finishing top four is good. Most of our girls are seeded, so we are looking for some good placements and then Mehar Trehan is also seeded third in the girls' Under-17, so we are definitely looking for some good results from them,” Anderson said.
Though much is also expected to come from the boys on the team, which is coached by national players Tahjia Lumley and reigning national champion Julian Morrison, with Nathlee Boreland serving as manager, Anderson is well aware that it will require an efficient showing to hit the podium.
“We have four boys in the Under-19 category and most of them are seeded in the five to eight region and so they are really looking good to try and move up in their rankings. We have two boys in Under-17 and the are both in the nine to 16 seeding, while Thomas Overton will be playing in his first junior CASA and then we have Lucas Thomson who has been playing for quite a while but will be contesting the Under-17 category for the first time and he is really looking to make a splash there,” Anderson shared.
“The doubles teams have been really playing well and have been practicing for a while. It’s the first time that doubles will actually be playing at junior CASA and so it should be interesting to see how they manage that division. It is going to be a little bit tricky, but we are hoping to at least finish in the top three and hopefully battle for the overall title,” she added.
The first junior Caribbean Area Squash Association Championship was held in 1981 in St. Vincent & the Grenadines. It is therefore fitting though coincidental, that the championship is going home in the year of the death of Sir Arthur Cecil Cyrus, the conceptualizer of the championship.
Jamaica’s team: Marley Price, Priya Stoddart, Sanjana Nallapati, Mehar Trehan, Elle Wilson, Savannah Thomson, Katherine Risden, Cole Brown, Thomas Overton, Lucas Thomson, Tobias Levy, Alex Chen, Rhys Greenland, Arjan Trehan, Brady Holmes
Former Antigua and Leeward Islands batsman Ralston Otto died on Friday at his home in Antigua after a decade-long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 65.
Otto played 48 first-class matches for the Leeward Islands between 1979 and 1990. During that period, he scored 2550 runs that included six centuries and 12 50s at an average of 34.00.
The right-handed batsman was the vice-captain of the West Indies ‘B’ that toured Zimbabwe in 1986. Former West Indies batsman Carlyle Best was the captain of that team that included Jimmy Adams and Carl Hooper who would both go on to become captains of the West Indies team, Phil Simmons, David Williams, Julian Charles, Javon Etienne and Vibert Greene among others.
A cousin to West Indies fast-bowling great Sir Curtly Ambrose, Otto would go on to manage the Leeward Islands team. He also managed the Antigua and Barbuda team that participated in the Stanford 20/20 tournament in 2008.
Ravichandran Ashwin starred to help India complete a dominant innings and 141-run win over the West Indies inside three days at Windsor Park in Dominica on Friday.
The day started with the tourists adding 109 runs to their overnight 312-2 before declaring on 421-5 off 152-2 overs, a lead of 271 runs.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who entered day three on 143, was eventually dismissed for 171 off 387 balls while Virat Kohli carried on from his overnight 36 to make 76 off 182 balls. Ravindra Jadeja finished not out on 37.
Ravichandran Ashwin then ripped through the West Indies line-up on the way to 7-71 off 21.3 overs to end up with match figures of 12-131. Ashwin’s second innings figures were his best in his career outside of India.
Jadeja also chipped in with two wickets as the West Indies batted just 50.3 overs, eventually being dismissed for 130.
Alick Athanaze made 28 while Jason Holder was left stranded on 20 for the West Indies.
The second Test bowls off on July 20 in Trinidad.
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls are the country’s highest ranked sport team so when the Netball World Cup comes around, expectations are always high.
This year is no different as the team prepares to take on the world’s best in the 15th edition of the globe’s premier Netball showcase scheduled for July 28-August 6 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Jamaica’s best results in the Netball World Cup are a trio of third-place finishes in 1991, 2003 and 2007.
The 2019 edition, held in England, saw the Sunshine Girls finish fifth.
Head Coach of the Sunshine Girls, Connie Francis, believes the team’s togetherness will allow them handle the pressure.
“They are a happy bunch. They love each other and support each other. Whether the person is wrong or right, the back each other,” Francis told SportsMax.tv at a sendoff for the team on Wednesday before noting a key difference between this group and the previous one at the World Cup.
“One difference about the team this time around that I love is that they hold each other accountable for play,” Francis said.
“They’re all serious about ensuring that, going into this World Cup, we take it seriously because we have a group of players that play in Australia and shake the world. We have a group of players that play in Jamaica that also shake the world. It’s about that learning and hoping that, when we play those finals, mistakes don’t come back and haunt us. It’s about us respecting each opponent and playing to the best of our ability,” she added.
The definition of a successful tournament varies from team to team. For Francis, it means a tournament where her team leaves no stones unturned in their efforts to try to get the job done.
“A successful tournament is having everybody putting out 110%. That would define a successful World Cup for me,” she said.
Jamaica will compete in Pool C alongside the hosts, Wales and Sri Lanka. They will first meet Sri Lanka on June 28th before taking on Wales a day later before completing stage one of the preliminaries against South Africa on June 30.
Feed The Flame ran out a stylish last-to-first winner of the Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp, denying Adelaide River and Soul Sister in a thrilling finish.
Dropped right out by Cristian Demuro, the Pascal Bary-trained Kingman colt had last been seen finishing fourth to Ace Impact in the Prix du Jockey Club over an extended 10 furlongs and was supplemented for this mile-and-a-half feature.
Racing more in mid-division were Aidan O’Brien’s Adelaide River – runner-up to Auguste Rodin in the Irish Derby – and John and Thady Gosden’s Oaks heroine Soul Sister.
When Ryan Moore elected to make his move on Adelaide River it looked like Kieran Shoemark had him covered on Soul Sister, but as the pair locked in battle Feed The Flame was produced to perfection by Demuro to run them both down.
A length was the winning margin from Adelaide River, with Soul Sister just behind in third.
Having harboured ambitions to expand squash in Bermuda, Head coach Micah Franklin, believes fielding their largest team to the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Junior Championships is the first step to achieving that objective.
Franklin and his 17-member team, comprising nine boys and eight girls, are currently in the St Vincent and the Grenadines for the one-week tournament which gets under way on Saturday.
While his team will have defending champions Guyana and last year’s runners-up Barbados among others to contend with, Franklin, a former player, who was Bermuda’s flagbearer at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, is excited about the prospects, particularly where the players’ development and progress is concerned.
“This is indeed the largest team we’ve ever been able to send to this year’s tournament and all our players are between the ages 9-18. Historically, Bermuda has always been able to send a team to the competition, however, very seldom do we have the luxury of sending enough to bring reserves,” Franklin told Sportsmax.tv.
“The team event portion of the competition requires five boys and five girls, so we are thrilled with the options this gives us. The biggest driver for this larger team is the fact that we gave our juniors goals and achievements to reach, which gives them a reason to train at squash on a regular basis and the Junior Casa this year was their motivation,” he added.
What lies ahead where medal-contention is concerned for Bermuda’s team, is left to be seen, but the Franklin is cautiously optimistic.
“Like everything, it is up in the air, but the team is incredibly excited for CASA this year. Every player has separate aspirations, but for me as the coach, I would love to see us leave with some medals. Anything on the podium will be a fabulous achievement,” he noted.
According to Franklin, there have been some improvements where corporate and government support of squash stands, but he would like to see much more done to continue their sport’s growth in the British Overseas Territory.
“Recently we have been incredibly fortunate to have received support from our government and corporate sponsors and Bermuda Squash is really grateful to Hiscox Re. ILS and the Bermuda Department of Youth Sport & Recreation for their support in Junior Squash development,” he said.
“The growth of squash in Bermuda is most likely similar to the growth of the world of squash. The sport does still suffer from not being an Olympic sport, and also inclusion. So, we are working on inclusion regularly to ensure every player gets a chance to play no matter the background,” Franklin shared.
On that note, he declared an unwavering desire to steer Bermuda Squash onto a new path, starting with this historic achievement at CASA which he believes serves as a springboard for their charge going forward.
“The overall goal and ambition for Bermuda Squash is to achieve full inclusion from all ages, races and genders. We want to prioritize squash first and let everything else fall into place,” Franklin ended.
Swingalong showed plenty of guts as she made every yard to claim the William Hill Summer Stakes at York.
The winner of the Lowther Stakes over course and distance as a two-year-old, Karl Burke’s daughter of Showcasing was sent off the 5-4 favourite to add to her tally on the Knavesmire following some fine efforts in hot contests since.
She was a gallant third behind Shaquille and Little Big Bear in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and dropping back to Group Three level here, proved her class in the hands of Clifford Lee.
Lee always had the filly on the front end dictating terms, but faced a strong challenge in the closing stages as both James Tate’s course winner Royal Aclaim – also in the colours of owner Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum – and last year’s third Gale Force Maya made eyecatching progress to get on Swingalong’s girths.
However, the Spigot Lodge runner pulled out extra when it mattered to return a neck verdict over Royal Aclaim and lead home a one-two for the duo’s owner, with Gale Force Maya a further three-quarters of a length back in third.
“She showed her class and had to do it the hard way I think,” said Philip Robinson, assistant racing manager for the owner.
“That suits her and that is her style of running, but with the ground going as it did it made it very hard towards the end and I think she was just coming to the end of her tether. I think had it been fast ground I think she would have won very easily, so I was very impressed with her.
“There were half plans in the pipeline to go up to six and a half at Deauville, but I don’t think that will be the case now. It would be easier coming back than going further and I think six is her limit.
“I think we will have to sit down and have a think and Karl says there are plenty of races for her, so we’ll have a chat with the owner and see where we would all like to go next.
“The main thing is she won today and she’s a really nice filly.”
Robinson was also thrilled with the performance of Royal Aclaim in second as last year’s City Walls Stakes winner tried six furlongs for the first time.
He added: “I was pleased with the second, I think she ran really well.
“That proved today that six furlongs is not a problem and she ran a big race.
“I think both these fillies will be better on better ground, the rain has come down here and it’s not just getting in, it seems very loose.”
Symbology looks a name to note having made an impressive debut in the William Hill Keep Your Raceday Positive Irish EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes.
The £230,000 purchase has always been held in high regard by Clive Cox, and this promising start comes fresh off the back of the trainer’s Group Two victory in the July Stakes with Jasour at Newmarket on Thursday.
“We were really pleased with that,” said Cox.
“She’s always been a Grade A student and we’ve loved her from the first minute we’ve had her. It was really pleasing for Sheikh Isa to see her take that first step on the track in such a good manner.
“She was clearly a little green early with just having horses on one side of her, but when she straightened up she went pretty true and straight. It was very much her first day at school and she hasn’t been away to gallop or anything so I do expect her to take a lot of advantages from her debut.”
The daughter of Havana Grey was sent off the 2-1 second-favourite for the six-furlong contest and having pleased the Beechdown Stables handler with her temperament, is now in line for a return to York for the Group Two Lowther Stakes on August 24.
Cox added: “The entry shows we held her high enough in regard before today and we will see how she comes back from this.
“She’s behaved impeccably, so we’re delighted with that debut.”
Tim Easterby’s evergreen Copper Knight (11-1) once again holds the record for winning the most races at York with a seventh success after holding on in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Handicap.
He previously jointly held the record with Stradivarius.
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