Cuban Thunder looks another Royal Ascot-bound juvenile for Amo Racing having won the Frank Whittle Partnership EBFstallions.com Maiden Stakes at York.
The Profitable colt was second on his debut at the Craven meeting to James Tate’s Blue Storm and the third, Hugo Palmer’s Hackman, came out and won well at Chester.
Sent off a heavily backed 5-4 favourite, Dominic Ffrench Davis’ youngster had to battle hard to gain the upper hand but eventually saw off a pair of newcomers in Charlie Appleby’s Impressive Act and Kevin Ryan’s We Never Stop by two lengths and a head.
The winner earned a 25-1 quote for the Coventry Stakes with Paddy Power, a race for which Kevin Stott looks likely to have the choice of a few.
Ffrench Davis said: “He ran a blinder at Newmarket and he’s such a laid back individual he was half-asleep that day.
“Today he was very different and I did think York might do that to him as they have to walk over the track and can get a little bit on their toes. I knew he’d cope with it, but he got a little bit warm.
“He was very professional in the race. Halfway through he switched off and Kevin wondered how well he was going, but he asked him to quicken and he was straight back on the bridle.
“He’ll get seven furlongs and he’s a lovely horse going forward. The team will have to decide about Royal Ascot, but he’d have to be in mind for the Coventry if there was bit of juice in the ground.”
Croupier (7-1) will head for the Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot after putting a disappointing effort in the Lincoln well behind him when clinging on to win the Sky Bet Hambleton Handicap.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s four-year-old had got bogged down at Doncaster but was much more at home on ground which was quickening up all the time.
William Buick arrived on the inside travelling well at the two-furlong marker but was all out in the end to hold off Point Lynas and Thirsk Hunt Cup winner Northern Express by a head and a nose.
The Sir Michael Stoute-trained favourite Assessment burst through the stalls and had to be withdrawn.
Ed Crisford said: “It’s nice to see him bounce back as we ran him in the Lincoln on terrible ground. We probably shouldn’t have done that, but he’s bounced back today in good style.
“He’s a lovely horse. They went quite hard up front and William sat just off the pace and I thought he rode a very nice race.
“He travelled into it so well. I thought they were coming after him, but he kept finding more.
“We can head to the Hunt Cup now – that’s the plan. It should be a good race for him as a strong pace and a big field should suit.”
The Crisfords doubled up when 3-1 favourite Chesspiece won the Collective Green Energy Handicap under Ryan Moore.
“He did it very well. It was just the third race of his life and we always felt he wanted a step up in trip,” said Ed Crisford.
“We were a little worried about the ground but he went on a fine and he’s got a big future. I’d say the Queen’s Vase would be the plan as an extra two furlongs would suit him well.”
Regional continued trainer Ed Bethell’s excellent run of form with victory in the Lindum York Handicap.
The Middleham-based trainer had enjoyed winners at Nottingham, Haydock and Leicester in the past seven days and Regional was a 5-1 shot to add to his tally on his seasonal reappearance.
Ridden by Callum Rodriguez, the five-year-old was in front racing inside the final furlong and had enough up his sleeve to repel the slow starting but fast finishing Korker by half a length.
Bethell said: “It wasn’t the plan to make the running, but he’s a decent horse and always has been ever since we’ve had him.
“He came third in the Stewards’ Cup and has been unlucky in other handicaps. I’m just delighted for the guys that own him and he’s a fun horse for the summer.
“He ran off 100 in the Stewards’ Cup, I think that’s his mark in handicaps and I would think he will go to 104 or 105 after today. That makes life difficult, but there is the City Walls back here (a Listed race in August) and he’s shown me he’s electric today, which is something I didn’t think he was.
“I thought he would miss the break and finish, but he’s not missed the break, he’s made the running and shown me that he’s quick enough and talented enough to do it.”
Endless Victory puts himself in line for Classic trial test
Endless Victory struck the front in the nick of time to book his ticket to a Classic trial by winning the bet365 EBF ‘Confined’ Novice Stakes at Newmarket.
Trained by Charlie Appleby, the son of Teofilo was well-backed prior to the 10-furlong event and was sent off the even-money favourite in the hands of Godolphin number one William Buick.
A taking winner on his debut at Wolverhampton in the winter, he confirmed that promise by pulling out all the stops to run down Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Salamanca, with the winning distance only a short head.
The colt – a full-brother to Appleby’s Melbourne Cup hero Cross Counter – holds an entry in the Dante, but the Moulton Paddocks handler suggested it could be the Lingfield Derby Trial on May 11 that proves his next port of call as he shuffles his swelling Classic hand.
Appleby said: “They’re all in the same boat, he had obviously just won around Wolverhampton (previously) and has come here for his first start on turf.
“It looked a sensible race on paper and they are probably a nice field of horses going forward and for our fellow to do what he’s done, I’m very pleased.
“I think he is a horse that will progress as we go up in trip. Everyone will be asking is he a Derby horse? Well, he’s still got a bit to do yet and we’ll see how much he improves for this run and whether we look at one of the trials.
“Arabian Crown will probably go to Sandown and maybe this horse can go to Lingfield or something like that, a race we like to support if we can.”
Chapple-Hyam may have missed out on a double with the narrow defeat of Salamanca, but can take comfort that her Rolica booked her ticket to the Qipco 1000 Guineas when Hollie Doyle got the better of husband Tom Marquand.
A 9-2 chance for the Rossdales Maiden Fillies’ Stakes, the daughter of Lope De Vega was a beaten favourite on debut at Nottingham last autumn, but was a sharper model on her three-year-old bow, showing a good attitude to wear down the Marquand-ridden 9-4 joint-favourite Vicario.
“We got confidence from her galloping companion Mallavelly who was second yesterday in the mile maiden and thankfully she has done the job,” said Chapple-Hyam.
“I think Mallavelly has shown she wants further, so if Mr Harris (Peter, owner) is happy I would like this filly to take her chance – she’s a Guineas filly.
“She was third at Nottingham on a very heavy track, but she’s wintered well and done everything right and I’m just thrilled to have this Lope De Vega.”
Although unsuccessful aboard Vicario, Marquand did find the scoresheet with Woodhay Wonder as Tom Ward’s star filly sprinted to a third straight win in the opening bet365 Handicap.
A real money-spinner for connections last term, she proved could still be a forced to be reckoned with at three as she led from start to finish in the six-furlong event.
“She’s been great and a lot of fun and they’ve done a fantastic job with her to get her ready to go ‘bang’ on her first start of the year,” said Marquand.
“She paid her way just fine last year and after a year like that there is always the question of if they will train on and do the same, but she’s started on the right path and hopefully she will keep on improving.”
The concluding Consign With The National Stud Handicap went the way of Karl Burke’s Poet Master (100-30 favourite) who was registering his fourth win in five starts off a mark of 100.
He could now have bigger assignments in store and his handler said: “He’s got a lot of ability and I think he’s a Group horse in the making. We thought he would be very competitive off 100.
“I would say he will go to the Listed race at Haydock (Pertemps Network Spring Trophy Stakes) in a few weeks’ time. That would be a lovely track for him, a real front-runners’ track and he’s a horse to just let him do his own thing. A nice, level track like Haydock will be perfect for him.”
Golden Ace in imperious form on return to Cheltenham
Jeremy Scott’s Golden Ace continued to impress as she cruised to victory on her return to Cheltenham.
The six-year-old is a daughter of Golden Horn and has enjoyed a superb campaign, living up to the promise shown when she was second in the Grade Two mares’ bumper at Aintree the season prior.
The winner of two Taunton novice hurdles earlier in the year, the mare then went to the Cheltenham Festival to contest the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle under usual rider Lorcan Williams.
While she did not face her Aintree conqueror Dysart Enos, she still crossed paths with some highly-regarded mares in Gordon Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead and Willie Mullins’ Jade De Grugy.
Neither could outperform Golden Ace, however, and she triumphed by a length and three-quarters on a day to remember for Scott and the team at Holworthy Farm.
She was then aimed at the Grade One Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting, but that plan was scuppered when she suffered a bruised foot and was therefore withdrawn.
The Listed Changing Young Lives At Jamie’s Farm Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham was the alternative outing and her prior successes saw her line up the 4-9 favourite, on what was a step up to two and half miles.
In a field of nine she was an effortless winner, striding up the hill to cross the line eight and a half lengths ahead of Ben Clarke’s Ooh Betty.
The form from her Festival win now looks rock solid, with Brighterdaysahead and Jade De Grugy both taking Grade One events since – the same level Golden Ace will be aimed at next year.
“She was very good, there were a couple of sketchy jumps but she always had everything covered,” said Scott.
“Once the Aintree plan fell through this is what we were thinking of for her.
“Lorcan said that if anything she’d probably be happier on slightly softer ground, so we’ve learnt that, but she came up the hill very well.
“We’ll aim at the two-and-a-half-mile race (Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle) here next year if we’re lucky enough to be in that position.”
Of the subsequent performance of the Elliott and Mullins mares, Scott added: “They’ve looked very, very impressive and it was just so frustrating not being able to go to Aintree, but that’s just horses I’m afraid!
“It’s been a very, very good season for her. She’s been great.”
There was some minor movement in the trainers’ championship table, as Dan Skelton collected small amounts of placed prize-money across the afternoon.
Notnowlinda finished fourth in the Catesby Estates Mares’ Challenger Series Final Handicap Hurdle and Sacre Coeur was runner-up in the NAF Mares’ Handicap Chase, reducing the gap between Skelton and table-leader Mullins by just over £9,000.
Haatem boosts Hannon hopes for 2000 Guineas bid
Haatem could join esteemed stablemate Rosallion in next month’s Qipco 2000 Guineas after throwing his hat into the ring with a dominant victory in the bet365 Craven Stakes at Newmarket.
Rosallion, who won three of his four juvenile starts including the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp, is very much Richard Hannon’s first string for the season’s first Classic on May 4, with only the unbeaten and much-vaunted City Of Troy ahead of him in ante-post lists.
Haatem himself kept good company during a busy two-year-old campaign, most notably winning the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood as well as finishing second and fifth behind City Of Troy in the Superlative and Dewhurst Stakes respectively, but looked more exposed than most ahead of his three-year-old debut.
Making his reappearance and 10th career start in one of the key Guineas trials, Haatem was sent off at 17-2 in the hands of Sean Levey and quickened up smartly racing out of the dip to pull three and a half lengths clear of Dewhurst third Eben Shaddad.
“The way he did it has surprised me, but you can’t say that was a fluke. He’s obviously improved a lot physically – he’s a big, strong, impressive horse,” said Hannon.
“He’s a good horse and he’s just won a Craven by three and a half lengths. He won a Vintage Stakes with the subsequent Champagne Stakes winner behind him and he was fifth in a Dewhurst.
“Funnily enough, I said to Sean after the last race I thought he’d get the trip well and it seems the horses who have been making the running all week have been winning and have been hard to peg back. I know he didn’t make the running, but I don’t think you can say that is an average performance, he was pretty good there.”
Coral cut Haatem to 25-1 from 66-1 for the 2000 Guineas, with Aidan O’Brien’s City Of Troy their 4-6 favourite and Rosallion rated his biggest threat at 5-1. Betfair and Paddy Power make Haatem a 20-1 chance.
Hannon is ready to let both of his pair line up at Newmarket next month, but did mention a couple of potential alternatives for Haatem.
He added: “This is the racecourse and this is where it matters and on what he has done today, the 25-1 on offer for the 2000 Guineas could be generous to me.
“Rosallion is a horse that contains an awful lot of speed, whereas this is a horse who gets the trip extremely well. Rosallion will get the mile and they will both probably run (in the Guineas).
“We’ve made no secret about how good we think Rosallion is. This horse has surprised me in the manner in which he did it, but I don’t think he should ever have been a 20-1 shot for the race like he was yesterday. It’s nice to have two very good milers on our hands and two with very good chances in the Guineas – one with an exceptional chance and one with a better chance than he had before.
“He’s in the German Guineas and Irish Guineas as well and I think he will be a force to be reckoned with wherever he goes. I’m delighted and the owners are delighted – they deserve it.”
Levey said: “No doubt he (Haatem) is exposed, but I thought he brought a lot of good form to the table. He was a big horse last year and I always thought he was doing well to do as well as he did because I knew he would get better in time.
“I wasn’t expecting that sort of run today, he’s obviously been hiding a bit from me at home. I thought he wanted a mile and a quarter, but I think he has done that really well and he’s going to show his hand in the Guineas now.
“Rosallion is a good horse and it gives you a bit of confidence to see this lad win the way he did. I hope I’m right (when I say) that he (Rosallion) is exceptional.”
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