A review of the action from Wednesday's meeting at Doncaster where Bounce The Blues struck under William Buick.
Blues edges out Kulthum in thriller
Bounce The Blues narrowly outpointed Umm Kulthum in a thrilling climax to the Japan Racing Association Sceptre Fillies’ Stakes.
Group Three honours were up for grabs in the seven-furlong contest, with Peter Schiergen’s Novemba the 3-1 favourite to take the lion’s share of the £80,000 prize fund back to Germany. But after cutting out much of the running, the four-year-old faded tamely and was ultimately well beaten in ninth place.
Just as Novemba’s challenge was petering out, Nizaaka quickened up smartly to move into a clear lead, but she wandered under pressure and was unable to hold off the challenge of both Andrew Balding’s Bounce The Blues and the Richard Fahey-trained Umm Kulthum in the heat of the battle.
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There was little to choose between the latter pair as the post loomed, with both horses and jockeys fighting tooth and nail, but it was Bounce Of Blues who just won the day by a neck under William Buick. Romantic Rival, a widely unconsidered 150/1 shot, made late gains to beat Nizaaka to third place.
Buick said: “She was tough there, she went through the gears nicely and the race opened up nicely for her as well. She’s run some nice races, she ran well here two years ago, everything was ideal for her today. She was really tough. She has black type now and that’s what they wanted. I don’t know what the plans will be, but that’s very valuable for her.”
Dream win for Sammy Jo
Sammy Jo Bell steered Absolute Dream to victory to claim her second win in the Ubettabelieveit Leger Legends Classified Stakes at Doncaster.
A field of 16 runners went to post for a charity race that is now the traditional feature on the opening day of the St Leger Festival, with each horse ridden by a retired jockey.
Those in contention included Grand National and Gold Cup-winning amateur Sam Waley-Cohen and six-times Flat champion Kieren Fallon, who was booked to ride 13/8 favourite Shine On Brendan, but it was Bell – successful in 2019 aboard Dubai Acclaim – who once again emerged triumphant.
Absolute Dream, already a dual winner for Richard Fahey this year and third on his most recent appearance at Epsom last week, was an 11-1 chance for a one-mile contest run to raise funds for the National Horseracing College and the Injured Jockeys Fund’s Jack Berry House.
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Bell, who announced her retirement from the saddle in 2018 at the age of 27, was happy to bide her time – settling Absolute Dream towards the rear early on before guiding Absolute Dream to the lead inside the final furlong.
The pair were ultimately well on top as they passed the post with a length and a quarter in hand over the Adrian Nicholls-ridden Dougies Dream, with Night Bear – partnered by former champion jockey Seb Sanders – close up in third.
Bell said: “It’s a fantastic day and it’s a great atmosphere, even though I did feel a bit sick beforehand! When I jumped out the stalls, I was fine. It is competitive, I’m very competitive and that’s the problem. If I’m going to do it, I want to win, I don’t just want to take part.
“It’s for a fantastic cause, the IJF have been so good to me and so has Richard throughout my career. The owner has been so supportive as well, I rode for the same owner last time so that’s really good. I think I should retire now and leave it on a high – they ask me every year and I say no and they find a way of talking me round! But it’s all good, there’s no buzz like that, nothing replaces that feeling.”
Absolute Dream and Sammy Jo Bell strike at Doncaster
Nicholls was having to settle for the runner-up spot again and said: “I’ve been second before and now second again! The horse has given me a nice spin round, this is always really good fun and it’s for a great cause.”
Sanders admitted the race had proved a real test of his fitness. He said: “I think the I got tired long before the horse – it was awful, absolutely awful. It’s a bit of a lung burner but I’ll be all right.”
Waley-Cohen had to settle for 10th aboard Sandy Paradise but enjoyed his rare Flat outing. He said: “It was great fun to be fair. I had a nice spin round, it’s for a fantastic cause and it’s been great to be a part of it.”
Manaccan too good for Scarbrough rivals
Manaccan continued his ascent up the sprinting ladder with a clear-cut victory in the Cazoo Scarbrough Stakes. Having plundered a valuable handicap at Ascot in early August, and finished third when stepped up to Listed class at Newmarket three weeks later, John Ryan’s charge was the 13/8 favourite.
King Of Stars ensured the five-furlong contest was run at strong pace and quickly moved into a clear lead while Ryan Moore – replacing Hayley Turner aboard Manaccan- elected to play his hand late.
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As King Of Stars began to pay the price for his early exertions, the market leader quickened up smartly once asked for maximum effort to grab the lead and had a length and a half in hand at the line.
Mo Celita was a clear second, with Attagirl beating the admirable King Of Stars to third.
Ryan said: “We were probably a bit unlucky at Newmarket, we raced over six (furlongs) and we hit the front a bit too soon. Hayley couldn’t have done a thing, the race opened up and he just got mugged on the line. Today Ryan’s given him a superb ride, as you’d expect, he’s got a lot to offer.
Manaccan bursts through to win well under Ryan Moore
“Hopefully we’ll got to Newbury for the International Trophy. Ground is a big issue for this horse, he does prefer it on the good side rather than the soft side.
“He’s such an easy horse to deal with, he’s so professional and he has been since day one – he eats, sleeps and races and that’s what you want. We travelled up here in the horse box today and you wouldn’t have known he was on the back. He’s a pleasure to deal with.
“We’ve given him all the time in the world, he’s got a very patient owner in Graham (Smith-Bernal) and he always says ‘if it’s not right for the horse, don’t go’.
“To have someone who gives you that free rein and says ‘if not today, we’ll go next week’ is a dream for a trainer.
“The ground is probably going to go against us after Newbury, he wouldn’t be a horse that needs to do too much more this year. I think he’s going to be a better horse next year.
“He’s one of these lovely, honest horses and if you threw him in the deep end over five furlongs in a big race, he’d have that turn of foot to get him out of trouble at the end.
“He’s the best one I’ve had for a while, I’m lucky in that I’ve had a few good ones for a small yard. Group Two winners, Group Three winners and Lincoln winners, when you’ve only got 18 horses it’s not easy to come by ones like this.”
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