Rest of Newbury review: Taqdeer takes Spring Cup
A review of the rest of Newbury's Greenham card as Taqdeer justified favouritism in the Elite Racing Club Supporting Greatwood Spring Cup Handicap.
Taqdeer justified 4/1 favouritism in a typically competitive renewal of the Elite Racing Club Supporting Greatwood Spring Cup Handicap.
Frankie Dettori, fresh from his success on James Garfield in the Greenham, brought the lightly-raced five-year-old through to challenge in the closing stages with several horses in with a chance.
Dettori managed to get the John Gosden-trained gelding up by a neck from Humbert (11/1) with Keyser Soze (25/1) a head away in third. Gabrial (25/1) was a length and a half back in fourth place.
Gosden said: "He's a grand horse that's had two years off, but Sheikh Hamdan (owner) is very patient.
"This slow ground suited him and Frankie took him all the way round the back of the field.
"I shall step him up to a mile and a quarter and we will look at a Listed race, I think that's the way to go."
Adjutant caused a 50/1 upset when just edging out Why We Dream in the first division of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Maiden Stakes at Newbury.
Well beaten on his sole start for David O'Meara, the son of Champs Elysees showed a willing attitude for Jim Crowley when overcoming a 226-day absence to strike for the first time since joining Brian Meehan's stable.
The first two had the race to themselves in the final furlong and were only separated by a head as they pulled seven lengths clear of Coolongolook in third.
Mapped was fourth and the Queen's Humbolt Current, the 5/4 favourite, only fifth.
Meehan said: "We did some good work with him the other day and while everything was focused around the favourite, our horse battled to the line and he'll get further.
"David O'Meara trained him last year and I know he liked him. It was a pretty impressive performance and we might look at aiming him towards the Britannia (at Royal Ascot)."
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