Newmarket Thursday review: Master Of The Seas wins Craven Stakes
Seas leads home Godolphin one-two
Master Of The Seas led home a Godolphin one-two in the bet365 Craven Stakes.
William Buick crucially found racing room going into The Dip and his partner began to reel in the leaders.
It was stablemate La Barrosa who proved the toughest nut to crack but the winner was always doing enough, going on to score by three-quarters-of-a-length.
Betfair and Paddy Power make the winner a 12/1 chance for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas. Sky Bet were more impressed and are 7/1 from 16s. Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said: "It was a pleasing return for Master Of The Seas who clearly deserves to take his place against the Ballydoyle batallion next month."
Reaction
Appleby said: “I’ll be honest, it wasn’t quite how we planned it as the plan was for La Barrosa to pop out and set a nice gallop and maybe come up the middle to give everyone racing room, but it didn’t materialise. He ended up just over-racing, but he was a bit fresh as well. I was pleased with how he ran.
“Master Of The Seas was the class act in the race, I was never disappointed with him in Meydan as our eyes were on a European campaign.
“William had to ask him a few questions there, he had to go through the gears going into the dip which is hard for horses, but he’s very well balanced. He picked up well and went through the line strong.
“It was very pleasing by the pair of them. The hood helped Master Of The Seas settle and we’ll probably keep it on for the Guineas.
“I’ve been very pleased with One Ruler’s prep as well so it’s a nice position to be in to have two or three nice chances for the Guineas.”
1535 Newmarket
1 6 Master Of The Seas (IRE) 11/4 f
2 5 La Barrosa (IRE) 4/1
3 7 Mystery Smiles (IRE) 22/1
Winning Trainer: C Appleby. Winning Jockey: W Buick
Summer claims Oxted scalp
Oxted was denied back-to-back wins in the bet365 Abernant Stakes by the late swoop of Summerghand (7/1)
Last year's winner finally mastered the front-running Emaraaty Ana at the furlong pole but was a sitting duck for the winner's late charge.
Danny Tudhope delivered it to perfection and his partner picked up well to score by three-quarters-of-a-length.
Reaction
Tudhope said: “It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s getting better with age, a lot of David’s do, especially sprinters. He’s a top-class sprinter and the visors have helped him as well the last two runs.
“The way the race panned out was perfect, he loves having cover and passing horses. He likes something to aim at, but in the big handicaps it just never fell right for him. The visors just seem to sharpen him up.”
Oxted could possibly drop back to five furlongs, as trainer Roger Teal considers future options. He said: “Ryan thinks he probably committed a little bit early and got in a little bit of a duel, he said he probably should have held on to him for another 100 yards or so, but like I said to Ryan, it probably wasn’t all that and the trip to Saudi might just have taken the edge off for the moment.
“We’ll freshen him up. I’m disappointed we didn’t win, but we can get him back – every horse gets beat. On ratings he should have been two or three lengths clear. He didn’t hit the hill like he did last year, but we’re not panicking.
“We’ll have a look at Royal Ascot and might even have a look at the King’s Stand. The way he’s travelling there and on Champions Day, at five he’d have won. We might have a look at both races (King’s Stand and Diamond Jubilee). It’s disappointing to get beat, but there you go.”
1500 Newmarket
1 5 Summerghand (IRE) 7/1
2 3Oxted 8/13 f
Winning Trainer: D O'Meara. Winning Jockey: D Tudhope
Force back with a bang
Appleby will consider returning Creative Force to Group race company after he defied a 299 day absence to make a winning return to action in the Each Way Extra At bet365 Handicap.
The gelded son of Dubawi made the most of a significant drop in class in the six furlong contest to make his first start since finishing down the field in last year’s Group Two Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot a triumphant one.
Making up plenty of ground late on, the 11-4 favourite reeled in long-time leader Significantly during the closing strides before pulling away to score by a length and three quarters.
Creative Force made a winning debut on the Rowley Mile last year and Appleby said: “He had a bit of a set-back after the Coventry and sometimes getting them to Ascot is tough on the two year olds.
“He is a very genuine little horse as you saw today. He broke his maiden tag here last year. He is a horse that has done well through the winter. He has not grown but he is a strong individual.
“He could get seven (furlongs) as well, which might open up a few options for him. He is entitled to come forward a bit as well. I’m pleased and it was a good performance.
“Whether he is quite good enough for something like a Pavilion Stakes I’m not sure. It will be interesting what we do trip-wise as I think he might benefit from stepping up to seven in time and the way he has done it there, there is no reason why he shouldn’t (get seven).”
1350 Newmarket
1 6 Creative Force (IRE) 11/4 f
2 5 Significantly 15/2
3 2 Jumby (IRE)4/1
Winning Trainer: C Appleby. Winning Jockey: W Buick
Waqidi completes Godolphin treble
Appleby and Buick went on to complete a treble on the card with Al Waqidi (2/1 favourite) impressing in the bet365 British EBF ‘Confined’ Novice Stakes.
The latter had made a successful start to his career at Wolverhampton in November and looks sure to go on to bigger and better things after following up with a comfortable half-length verdict.
Appleby added: “He’s a nice horse who is progressing all the time and he was very impressive on his first start.
“He’s done very well physically over the last eight weeks. We’ll just take little steps with him, but I was very pleased with that today, he’s learned a lot. He’s very nice to look at and has a beautiful pedigree.”
1610 Newmarket
1 1 Al Waqidi 2/1 f
2 3 Scope (IRE) 9/4
Winning Trainer: C Appleby. Winning Jockey: W Buick
Great winner of Wood Ditton
John Gosden’s Peter The Great was an 11/1 winner of the Bet365 Wood Ditton under Nicky Mackay.
Gosden said: “Nothing in the Wood Ditton is ever a surprise. He’d been working nicely at home, but he has a wild side to him so I thought Nicky, who rides him at home, can ride and we’ll leave the veteran (Frankie Dettori) in the weighing room.
“We’ll go for novice over 10 furlongs next. That’s the great thing about those races, as when you won this in the past you were almost forced to go into a Listed.
“Because of the racing through the winter now you tend not to get 20 roaring bulls in this. Is it a good Wood Ditton? I don’t think you’ve seen a Derby horse, but I don’t think it was a bad race.”
1425 Newmarket
1 7 Peter The Great 11/1
2 10 Southern Voyage (FR) 10/1
3 6 Nagano 14/1
Winning Trainer:J & T Gosden. Winning Jockey:N Mackay
Sparkling debut win for Bellosa
Bellosa looked a filly with a real future as she proved the market right in the Rossdales Maiden Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket.
Champion jockey Oisin Murphy was booked by Jane Chapple-Hyam and from an opening price of 25-1 the daughter of Awtaad went off the 7-2 joint-favourite.
Bounced out on the rail, she never saw another rival and made every yard for a seven-length win from the 40-1 shot Verreaux Eagle.
CHapple-Hyam was did stress, however, that rumours the three-year-old had been working with her Classic hopeful Saffron Beach, who was second in Wednesday’s Nell Gwyn, were wide of the mark.
“She’s a nice filly, she came to me after Christmas. Sir Edmund Loder (owner) sold his stud in Ireland and had a dispersal sale, but I was very fortunate to get to train this filly,” said Chapple-Hyam.
“She jumps keep improving with all her work and I’m thrilled with how she’s done it today. I didn’t expect that, though! I wanted her to hit the line strong, but she was conceding experience so that just shows her class.
“She worked with Ambassadorial, a good servant of mine, and went by him so I knew then we had a good one. I have to thank Adam Kirby because he rides her and likes her a lot as well. She has never worked with Saffron Beach, though, I don’t know where that rumour came from!”
She added: “I think we’ll look for a Listed race next, over six or seven furlongs, but I’ll talk to Sir Edmund (who owned the Marling). There are Listed races at Lingfield and Nottingham we could look at. I’m sure the lads had a nibble, they all look pretty happy so I’d say yes!”
1315 Newmarket
1 2 Bellosa (IRE) 7/2 j
2 9 Verreaux Eagle (IRE) 40/1
3 3 Danni California (IRE) 40/1
Winning Trainer: Jane Chapple-Hyam/ Winning Jockey: Oisin Murphy
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