Review of the rest of the action from Wednesday's meeting at Kempton

Snowdrop success for Nazeef

Nazeef made a successful leap to Listed company as she just edged out Billesdon Brook in the EBF/Unibet Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes at Kempton.

Trained by John Gosden and ridden by Jim Crowley, Nazeef won three of her starts last season but was taking a jump up in level in this mile event.

Ridden with plenty of restraint by Crowley, her stablemate Scentasia tried to do it from the front under Frankie Dettori but she was in trouble with around a furlong and a half to run.

Billesdon Brook, the 2018 1000 Guineas victor and last year’s Sun Chariot scorer, looked to have the race at her mercy as she moved to the front, but Nazeef was flying down the outside for Crowley.

She swept into the lead and pulled away by three-quarters of a length, making full use of the 3lb she was getting from the winner. Outside Shepherd Market stayed on for third.

Gosden was represented by his son Thady, who said: “She didn’t have the smoothest trip round and was quite far back, nothing really took her into the race and obviously the surface is riding quite slow at the moment so it was a very pleasing performance.

“They often improve as they get older and she’s definitely come on well. She ran very well last year but she has strengthened and matured nicely this year. Hopefully she will continue to improve.

“We will see how she is after the race and we could possibly look at Royal Ascot with her, but it’s entirely up to Sheikh Hamdan (al Maktoum, owner).

“I’m sure he’ll decide what he wants to do, but possibly a tilt at something like the Duke of Cambridge (Stakes).”

Crowley added: “Obviously I didn’t have a great draw. I was struggling to get into position. I shuffled back after the bend and it was a really good performance, especially on a track which has shown to be hard to win on.

“She has done nothing but improve with every run she has had in the last year and she keeps getting better and better.”

Marquand and Shatha spring 66/1 surprise

Shatha sprang a 66-1 shock in the Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day “Confined” Fillies’ Novice Stakes at Kempton to give Tom Marquand his first winner since the resumption of racing.

Marquand enjoyed a fantastic spell in Australia while racing was on hold in the UK and Ireland, winning two Group One events on William Haggas’ Addeybb and is fancied by some for the champion jockeys’ crown this term.

He got a nice trip round the inside on the Charlie Hills-trained Shatha and as the pace-setting favourite Sun Bear began to toil, Marquand switched his mount to make her challenge.

She battled it out with Lightness in the final furlong, with only a short head separating them at the line, while 150-1 shot Rozalia kept on for third.

Betfair gave Shatha a 33-1 quote for next month’s Investec Oaks at Epsom.

Never Dark (2-1 favourite) made every yard for victory in the opening Unibet Thanks The Frontline Workers Handicap.

Never doubt Balding in opener

Trainer Andrew Balding and jockey David Probert were on the mark with Hold Fast at the Sunbury venue on Tuesday and they added to their tally as Never Dark came home a length and a quarter clear of Newyorkstateofmind.

Probert said: “The whole family have already come on and progressed well for their age. He was consistent at two and running over six.

“Over the winter he has strengthened up and stepping back to five looks more his trip this year and I’d like to see him transfer that over the grass, but he is from a very good, speedy family so I imagine he will take a big step forward for that.”

Probert was thrilled to get another winner on the board and added: “It has been great. Over the lockdown I was in there six days a week getting to know the horses a lot better and you realise how hard the guys work at home.

“It has been a hard time for all of us over the last few weeks and months, but they’ve all stuck together pretty good and Anna-Lisa (Balding) and Andrew have been great.”

Wall off mark for season

Chris Wall secured his first winner of the season as Han Solo Berger swooped late in the Unibet Money Back Free Bet If Second Handicap.

George Wood pushed his mount to the front inside the distance in the five-furlong contest and repelled the last-gasp challenge of May Remain by a neck.

Wall said: “I thought five round here might be sharp enough for him. He had shown last year a stiff five plays to his strengths because he can stalk the leaders and pick them off.

“First time out I thought I would leave the cheek pieces off him, just because it’s a first-timer, but actually today he has broken quite sharply, which isn’t always the case with him. We are in the dark a little and I wasn’t too sure what to expect today. I thought he would run well, but I didn’t expect him to win, so we will see. It is a nice team to go to war with this year and let’s hope everything falls into the right places.

“Normal at home is pretty normal and this is our first time to the races under the new regulations and things are a little bit different. I have been told off for not wearing my mask, but that is fine and we will all get used to it in the end.

“We are just glad to be back racing and if there are any inconveniences, they are pretty minor ones in context with everything else.”