Doncaster Saturday review: Persian Force wins Brocklesby

Doncaster punters feel the Force

Persian Force lived up to the hype with a runaway success in the SBK Brocklesby Conditions Stakes.

The well-bred son of Mehmas was sent off the even-money favourite after behaving impeccably in the preliminaries and there was never a moment's doubt for punters who had followed the move on Richard Hannon's juvenile.

Jockey Rossa Ryan was able to settle him just behind the early pace and still had a handful of rein approaching the final furlong and a half. The favourite quickened sharply when allowed his head and darted clear to win by four and three-quarter lengths.

Primrose Ridge was second at 40/1, while midweek gamble Jiffy Boy ran with credit in third as a 12/1 shot.

Ryan said: “We’ve liked him at home. He’s not done a lot, but what he has done he’s done it well and very professionally. Today was the same and he’s going to improve.

“I hope we’ve only scraped the surface of what’s underneath the bonnet. He had a look at the crowd and went and did his job.

“They went a good gallop and I was always cantering all over them. He’s got bundles of speed and I think when he goes up to six furlongs, he’ll be much better equipped. He’s going to be nice.

“It’s good to get on the board the first day on grass. It’s a good start to the year.”

Tony Gorman, Hannon’s senior head lad, said: “He does everything very nicely at home and he has a great mind.

“You’ve got to be thinking of Royal Ascot. There’s a lot underneath there we’ve not found yet.”

Darryll Holland, trainer of the runner-up, said: “She’s a lovely filly. I wanted to go to Redcar for a fillies’ only but we decided to come here. I won this race once (on Touch Silver in 192) for Barry Hills.

“A big strapping colt, who cost a lot of money beat her her. Me and Paul Eddery bought our filly for 8,000 guineas.”

Realm completes Ryan treble

Rossa Ryan completed a double on the day when landing the SBK Spring Mile Handicap on 11/2 chance Arthur's Realm.

After tracking the front-running Invincibly, he took it up over a furlong out and stayed on strongly to win by a length and three-quarters from the running-on A Boy Named Ivy (5/1) and 100/30 favourite Empirestateofmind, who was caught a little flat-footed when the pace increased soon after halfway.

Ryan said: “He’s a bit of a tricky customer, but the race fell lovely for me.

“They went a nice gallop and he travelled well. I was a bit wary of the ground but as the races have gone on it’s got a bit holding and it suited me.”

The jockey brought up the treble when guiding the Hannon-trained Chindit (8/13 favourite) to victory in the Listed SBK Doncaster Mile Stakes.

Balding charge breaks through

Groundbreaker (5/4 favourite) confirmed the promise of two runs at Kempton at the end of last year to open his account in emphatic fashion in the SBK Betting Podcast Maiden Stakes.

The three-year-old colt, trained by Andrew Balding, kicked clear of his rivals from two furlongs out to win by four lengths from Surrey Knight in the hands of David Probert.

“We’ve very pleased with him. He was still a little bit immature in the early stages of the race. David (Probert) was very complimentary. He said he couldn’t pull him up. It looks we have a nice one,” said Balding’s wife and assistant, Anna Lisa.

“We put a hood on him as it helps him settle and he settled beautifully.

“We’ll see how he is tomorrow and make a plan when the handicapper has had his say. He’s a beautiful looking horse and he’s behaved impeccably.”

Aidan Keeley notched up career win number 11, including seven in Jersey, when steering home the Mick Appleby-trained Sandyman (15/2) in division one of the SBK Apprentice Handicap. Division two went to the Tony Coyle-trained Wots The Wifi Code (11/1), ridden by Jonny Peate.

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