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Shoemark in Synch with newcomer

Synchronicity has a long way to go to match the exploits of her Group One-winning brother Ombudsman, but she made the perfect introduction when proving a class above her rivals in the Bridget ‘Confined’ Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

Purchased for 900,000 guineas, the daughter of Night Of Thunder, who runs in the colours of Blackpool FC owner Simon Sadler’s TBT Racing operation, was sent off the 6/4 favourite to make an introduction in the seven furlong event.

Racing just behind the early pace the well-supported market leader did not let her legion of supporters down when bursting through late on under Kieran Shoemark before storming to glory by two lengths much to the delight of trainer Ed Walker.

The Lambourn handler said: “She is a nice filly. She was very expensive and has got the pedigree to go with it. She has been doing all the right things at home, but she is still a frame of a filly and she is only going to improve.

“She would probably be the highest profile, biggest pressure debutant, other than for the one I had for The King and The Queen up at Haydock, as I was pretty nervous about that.

“She is the current biggest pedigree and biggest price tag debutant I’ve had so I was feeling the pressure a bit, but they say pressure is a privilege and it is welcome pressure.

“It is great to have Kieran on our side and he gave her an absolute peach of a ride.”

Following the race Synchronicity was cut from 50/1 into 25/1 for the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches by Paddy Power, however Walker hinted that a trip to York for a tilt at the Listed Sky Bet Fillies’ Stakes, better known as the Michael Seely Memorial Stakes, could be next.

He added: “The plan coming into this season was here, and if here went well, then maybe the Michael Seely at York. If that comes too soon I’m not sure. She is a really exciting filly and Ombudsman is an unbelievable horse and she is so far following in his footsteps.

“I think that will be the last time we will see her over seven furlongs as I think we will go up to a mile.”

Cross puts hat in Derby ring

Maltese Cross enhanced his prospects of an appearance in the Betfred Derby when doubling his tally of victories in the Darley EBF Novice Stakes.

In what is traditionally a warm contest the William Haggas-trained Sea The Stars colt emerged victorious when getting the best of an entertaining conclusion to the £40,000 prize.

After going one better than on his debut at Ascot when signing off last season with victory at Newmarket in September the George Waud-owned colt was sent off the 7-4 favourite to make a winning return.

Much of the running in the mile and a quarter prize was set by the keen going Alfaraz, who opened up a healthy advantage he would hold until half-way down the straight when the pursuing pack closed ranks.

Any one of about five runners could have been called the winner inside the final furlong, however it was Tom Marquand who seized the initiative when galvinising Maltese Cross with one late lunge to get up by a neck from My Love Is King.

Haggas said: “They were nice looking horses on paper and they were nice looking horses in the paddock. The sixth horse has been beaten a length and a half, and that usually says its not a great race, but I think there will be some nice horses in it.

“There were quite a few fancied in this race and all the right ones were in the first six and the rest were well out of it.

"I came here thinking 'Crickey, this is like a Listed race and a mini-Derby trial' as Ralph (Beckett), like his and Andrew (Balding) liked his, and John (Gosden) liked his quietly, and there was obviously the Godolphin horse.

“At this time of year we all dream and time will tell if the dreams are going to be reality or if we are going to end up in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot.

“Him and Morshdi had been working together so that confirmed the home stuff, but ours have not been winning and this is only our second winner on the grass.

"The horse he beat at Newmarket is rated one hundred and one, but that is two stone off winning the Derby, but he stuck on well that day. "

But ahead of a potential tilt at the Derby at Epsom Downs on June 6, Maltese Cross is likely to tackle either a trial at Chester or Lingfield.

Haggas added: “I think we ought to have a go at a trial over further. He will either go to Lingfield or Chester I would have thought.

"He is by Sea The Stars, who won the Derby, and the dam is by Camelot, who also won the Derby, so he should stay well.

“We are very keen to have a shot at the Derby with something, and he has put his hat in the ring. I think the further he goes the better he will be. He is definitely a mile and a half horse, and might even be a mile six horse.

“Tom felt he needed a proper contest, not that it wasn't a proper race, but he still floated a bit and he needs a unique experience, like Chester or Lingfield, to get him a bit more agile, but I was pleased with the way he knuckled down.”

Voyager gets Beckett up and running

Ralph Beckett celebrated his first two-year-old winner of the season after Blessed Voyager hit the ground running on his debut in the Dubai Duty Free EBF Maiden Stakes at Newbury.

Having sent out stablemate Dance A Jig to finish second in the Brocklesby at Doncaster last month the Classic-winning handler went one better with his second juvenile runner in the five furlong contest.

Making stealthy headway late on, the 11/1 chance motored past his rivals in the centre of the track under Hector Crouch to hold off the fast-finishing Harry Knows from the Richard Hughes yard by a head.

And while no grand plans beckon for the son of Bayside Boy, Beckett was delighted to see the Valmont and Michael Blencowe-owned colt make a winning start to life.

Beckett said: “We don’t have many forward ones. There is this one, and the one who we ran in the Brocklesby, but we won’t run any other newcomers for a month or so, but it is nice to get off the mark with them.

“He was pretty badly behaved in the paddock as he kicked our travelling head girl, but I was pleased he behaved well in the race.

“He had been away from home and galloped well there, and he galloped better after he came back, so it wasn’t a huge surprise. Funnily enough when he was behaving well at the start I thought we had a squeak then.

“He will go six furlongs and we will do that next time. I don’t think we thought of him as a Royal Ascot type before today, but we will run him under a penalty and see what he does from there.”

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