The Trackside Live team flag up a few recent eyecatchers including one for Roger Varian and a Godolphin filly who is expected to have learnt a lot from her debut outing.
Spirit Of Jenny (Steph Hollinshead)
August 8 - Newmarket, Maritime Cargo Services Smart Customs Clearance Fillies' Handicap
It was a good evening for Steph Hollinshead at Newmarket, with Angel Shared overcoming top weight to take the six-furlong handicap. Yet it was Spirit Of Jenny who caught the eye in the seven-furlong fillies' equivalent, having her first start in handicap company and proving that her opening mark of 67 may have been a touch too lenient.
Placed in maidens at Chester and Leicester, the filly appealed in the paddock and looked to be a more promising individual than her 25/1 starting price would have suggested - she walked well, was clearly fit and took the preliminaries with easy grace.
Spirit Of Jenny raced prominently before fading in both her starts over seven furlongs and it’ll be interesting to see if connections choose to drop her back to six.
Putting a line through the Southwell run when she was upset in the stalls (finishing fourth), the daughter of Inns Of Court placed second on her debut run tackling the sharper test and the drop back in trip may prove key to that elusive maiden victory.
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Ribbon Of Sea (Charlie Appleby)
August 8 - Newmarket, Maritime Cargo Services Ocean Freight Frenzy Maiden Fillies Stakes
It wouldn’t be a column without finding an eye-catching juvenile and Charlie Appleby’s Ribbon Of Sea gets the nod this week.
The fillies’ maiden was a pedigree lover’s paradise but it was the professionalism and race fitness of Karl Burke’s Evolutionist which proved key over some exciting prospects.
Ribbon Of Sea looked the best of the newcomers and it was easy to see why she fetched a whopping 1.6 million guineas at the sales - she had size, scope and the deep, powerful chest of sire Sea The Stars.
On reflection, she probably looked as though a first outing wouldn’t harm. Such a big-framed filly is generally going to come forward for a first run and she ran accordingly, sitting third throughout before weakening in the closing furlong.
There's a hope that Ribbon Of Sea’s debut finishing position of fifth (of eight) may override price tag bias next time out and she may be an attractive price, where she’ll undoubtedly be sharper for the run.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsClassic Cuvee (Roger Varian)
August 9 - Newmarket, Tattersalls £40,000 EBF Newsomers Maiden Stakes
This looked a nice little maiden on paper, and the million euros spent on Zanthos didn’t look the worst million ever spent (at least, in racing circles) as she quickened up in the style of a horse going places to win this well. She has scope for better too, as she was a little on her toes beforehand, and will learn plenty from this.
But we all saw how good she was, and for all she’ll win more, she’s not the sort that fits well in this column.
Disappointments on the day were Al Qaysiyya, who looked in need of the run beforehand and didn’t impress pre-race, and the nicely-bred Proposal, who was probably the pick on looks and behaved impeccably. Sadly, she couldn’t quicken when asked and finished well beaten, so needs a lot of time.
However, Classic Cuvee, another beautifully-bred sort, being a half-sister to the triple Grade 1 winner Legatissimo, showed more than enough to think she’s got a good future ahead of her, particularly once she’s stepped up in trip.
We liked her pre-race; she got plenty of walking practice, having been introduced into the pre-parade ring with the more experienced horses in the first race, and never turned a hair, showing a good attitude. Physically pleasing to look at too, with a solid engine at the back, it appeared, and the overall impression she left was a very positive one.
Worth pointing out that owners Newsells Stud were sponsors on the card, and you’d like to think that, on a day when they gave their name to the Sweet Solera, they’d introduce one of their better juveniles. Keep her onside, she’s going places.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsOslo (Fergal O’Brien)
August 9 - Newmarket, Celebrating Kate O’Sullivan Handicap
I was quite interested in Oslo pre-race, as he’d caught the eye a couple of times this year; once over hurdles at Market Rasen when running on for a midfield finish in the competitive Summer Handicap Hurdle and again at York last time when he perhaps found two miles on the Flat too much of a test.
He finished fourth here, and in truth well beaten, but did best of those held up out the back in a race that panned out better for those ridden more prominently, and I still think there’s a race in him soon.
The market agreed, too, Oslo going off half his price, 11s into 11/2 at the off, and whether it be back over hurdles or over a strongly-run 14f on the Flat, I expect him to find his way into the winners enclosure at some point soon.
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