A review of the action from Saturday's meeting at Ascot where Al Aasy won the Buckhound Stakes.
Cup glory for Vafortino
Vafortino gave Kevin Philippart De Foy his biggest victory in the training ranks when the four-year-old held off the evergreen Accidental Agent to land the tote Victoria Cup.
The son of New Bay was ideally positioned throughout the valuable seven-furlong contest, tracking the pace on the stands rail in the hands of Benoit De La Sayette and his younger legs came to the fore when the sprint to the finish ensued. He was half a length clear of Eve Johnson Houghton’s former Queen Anne Stakes victor at the winning post, with last year’s Victoria Cup winner River Nymph back in third.
Prior to the meeting, the Belgium-born handler had only saddled one runner at the Berkshire track, but Vafortino’s victory made it a double on the day for Philippart De Foy having also tasted success with Juan De Montalban earlier on the card.
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The four-year-old was making just his second start for his trainer, who was delighted the gamble when purchasing the 28,000 guineas buy last autumn has paid off.
“We took a punt when we bought him, we just gelded him and put him in the field and forgot about him for a while,” he explained. “We brought him back slowly, we knew he would come on from that run at Newcastle a few weeks ago. It was a pleasing first run, the form was quite good and Bless Him has gone on to run well since. But we knew he would be better on grass than all-weather. We kept him fresh and got the job done. We will give him a bit of time and come up with a plan, we won’t think of anything yet, we’ll rest and enjoy today.”
For the winning jockey, it was a welcome return to the spotlight for the right reasons having missed the majority of last season serving a drug-related suspension.
Having burst onto the scene when guiding Haqeeqy to success in the Lincoln, this was easily the biggest win of his career since as he turned his first ride at Ascot into a winning one.
“Days like this are all you dream for. To have another crack at a handicap like the Lincoln last year, it’s just a dream come true to do it again. My boss (John Gosden) has been amazing to me during the time off, and also everyone back at the yard making sure that I can learn more and more and helping me out,” said De La Sayette.
“What a horse, big heart, tried his heart out – you can’t really ask for any more than that, can you? I was trying my hardest to the line but once he had his head in front I knew he was going to do it.
“He travelled beautifully through the race, he broke well, I managed to slot him in. I went to go through the gears and he just got his nose in front and kept it there until the line. It can be anyone’s race really, depending on where the pace comes from, luckily the pace was on the stand rail today which gave me some help. I had someone to battle with to the line.”
Return to winning ways for Al Aasy
Al Aasy returned to winning ways at Ascot with a comfortable victory in the Listed Carey Group Buckhounds Stakes for Dane O’Neill and William Haggas.
The Shadwell-owned five-year-old was on the comeback trail after fizzling out last term following a brilliant start to his four-year-old campaign.
A mid-season gelding operation seemed to derail him after a string of wins and second places in Group contests, beginning with success in the John Porter and the Aston Park before he was then beaten by just a neck in the Coronation Cup and the Princess of Wales’s Stakes.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsBack in action at Ascot he showed his class has not left him when striking late to secure a two-length triumph over Brian Meehan’s Mandoob having started as the 5-4 favourite.
Maureen Haggas, assistant to her husband, said: “He’s been a Group winner so he should win a Listed race like that, but I thought Dane gave him a beautiful ride, he kept him interested and he settled really well.
“They didn’t go very fast but he settled nicely and didn’t do anything wrong, he had a nice run round and hopefully it’ll just do his confidence good – he seems to have enjoyed it. That’s important, he’s got to enjoy himself and that’s how you get the best out of him.
“They need to enjoy it, he’s won today having an easy time and that’s important too, they don’t get confidence from having hard races every time, unless they’re really tough and there aren’t that many of those horses around.
“He’s been a gelding a while now and it maybe knocked that streak out of him, you need to be clever when you ride him and kid him along a little bit – he’s got stacks of ability.”
Treble tops for Godolphin
Noble Style looked Royal meeting material as he led the Godolphin team to an Ascot treble with a winning start to his career under James Doyle in the Jemima Howden Novice Stakes. The son of Kingman was a 525,000 guineas purchase and has a pedigree as notable as his sales-ring value, a factor that saw him start as the 6-4 favourite.
Duly meeting expectations with a swift turn of foot in the final furlong, the two-year-old made the perfect start to his life as a racehorse and sparked a successful afternoon for his owners, by a length and three-quarters from Walbank.
“He did everything right, travelled well and won nicely,” Doyle said of the Charlie Appleby-trained bay. “We haven’t pressed that button before, his fast work at home has always been in hand and he’s done it all easily so there was a bit of a question today but he responded as you’d hope. I’m sure he’ll return to this track in early June. He’s got a great temperament on him and comes from quite a speedy family who know this track, so it’s very a very good start.”
Noble Style was the first two-year-old runner of the season for the powerhouse Moulton Paddocks operation – and sets the bar high for the yard’s juveniles this term.
Doyle added: “It’s a bit of pressure when you get on the first one, but it gives you a good gauge and a good yardstick for the rest of them.”
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsSaeed bin Suroor’s Soft Whisper was the next Godolphin horse to strike, taking the British EBF Fillies’ Handicap at 6-1 under rider Pat Cosgrave. In a tight finish the four-year-old prevailed by just a head under top-weight from Clive Cox’s Spirit Of The Bay.
“I went a bit keen to post, she’s used to running out on the dirt in Dubai and she’s got into that style of racing now,” Cosgrave said. “She was a little bit keen going to post and it’s hard to make all here, especially under top-weight as well. She was out of that gates like a rabbit and I thought if she was going to relax, she’d relax in front.
“She was in a rhythm all the way, they came to me early enough but she wanted to win today. She was tough all the way, she’s bounced back today and hopefully it’s a step in the right direction.”
Young apprentice Harry Davies then sealed the treble for the boys in the blue when landing the Dare To Dream Racing On Facebook Fillies’ Handicap aboard Appleby’s After The Rain.
The filly has won her last two outings and notched up the hat-trick as the 6-5 favourite, just holding off Jamie Osborne’s Crema Inglesa to win by a head.
“She jumped pretty well, I was happy and she settled quite nicely and was able to get her head in front,” Davies said. “It’d be nice to see her run in something better, she’s an improving filly, Charlie would know better than me but I think she could step up now.”
