Haydock Friday review | Improvise wins for the Queen under Oisin Murphy
A review of Friday afternoon's meeting at Haydock Park as Oisin Murphy won aboard Improvise for the Queen.
Trainer Ed Bethell believes Regional could turn out to be his “best ever buy” after watching him vindicate his last minute decision to run at Haydock Park on Friday with a front-running success on his stable debut in The Tin Man Handicap.
Picked up for just 3,500 guineas at this year’s Tattersalls July Horses In Training Sale, the gelded son of Territories appears to be a shrewd piece of business after making his first start in 328 days a winning one.
Finding plenty out in front in the six-furlong feature, which was named in honour of 2018 Sprint Cup hero The Tin Man, the 6/1 chance went on to score by a length and a quarter from Mitrosonfire and complete a 202/1 double for jockey Danny Tudhope.
Bethell said: “Tom Biggs of Blandford Bloodstock put him up to me at the horses in training sale in July and we thought we would have to pay 30,000 guineas and we ended up paying 3,500 and I’m not sure why.
“His work had been really good at home and we were hopeful coming into this but I was unsure if he would be strip fit enough for today.
“In the last three weeks he had just started to flourish at home and his work had been good.
“It was a bit of last minute decision to run him in this handicap as he had three entries over the weekend but this race cut up quite nicely and it has worked out quite well.
“It will probably be my best ever buy and probably my only good purchase. It really is exciting when he cost so little.”
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Jacko Fanshawe, wife of the The Tin Man’s trainer James, and organiser of the Fred Archer Racing syndicate that owned the Equiano gelding admitted it was an “honour” to have a race named after the nine year, who was retired in June after suffering a career-ending leg injury on the gallops.
She said: “We were so thrilled and honoured and it was a nice surprise to be told about this when we got the news three months’ ago.
“The Tin Man is back with us now. He is still a bit lame but he is up to trotting and doing some stints on the walker and he will then be turned out.
“He will probably be a hack and look after the babies. He will be spoilt and well looked after as he deserves it.”
David O’Meara appears to have a bright prospect on his hands in Rishes Bear, who got the ball rolling for Tudhope when flooring 1/3 favourite Vertiginous by a neck to make a winning debut in the British EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes.
Tudhope, said of the 28/1 winner: “She knows her job but she is quite hot and we have to keep a lid on her at home but they have done a great job with that.
“I thought I would pick the favourite up, who is rated 99, but it was a big ask first time out to do that and that bodes well for the future.”
Amie Waugh enjoyed what she described as a “dream start” to life as a professional jockey after steering the Jim Goldie-trained Sound Of Iona (7/1) to victory in the Bet At racingtv.com Handicap
The 31 year old, who had previously ridden 24 winners under rules as an amateur, made her first ride as 5lb professional claiming jockey a winning one when prevailing by half a length in the five-furlong dash aboard the Orientor mare.
Waugh said: “It is a dream start really. To be fair she travelled so well and she was so calm at the start and in the stalls and she just stuck her little head out and fought all the way to the line.
“As long as this keeps continuing I will have no problems and I have got to make the most of it.”
Michael Bell hinted that a step up to Listed company could now be on the agenda for Improvise (3/1), who carried the colours of The Queen to glory when scoring by a head under Oisin Murphy in the British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes over a mile.
The Newmarket handler speaking away from the track, said: “She is very much her mother Set To Music’s daughter as she is very similar to her.
“She is slightly ahead of her at two but hopefully she will have a similar career to her mother and be a nice staying filly at three
“She won’t go for the Rockfel but I had an idea she might go for the Montrose Stakes but that’s only off the top of my cuff and I need to speak to The Queen and John Warren (racing manager).”
Members of the Middleham Park Syndicate made sure their voices could be heard after Fairmac (6/4 Favourite) landed the Racing TV Handicap by a length and a half to initiate a 7/1 double for trainer Mark Johnston and jockey Franny Norton.
Martin Eldred, syndicate member, said: “He deserved that as he is so consistent. I think Newmarket was one that got away.
“Middleham Park look after us so well and to have a consistent horse like Fairmac makes every day so special.
“He might have a little break now and go back to Ayr in around 10 days’ time.”
Tadreeb (11/5) completed both Johnston’s and Norton’s doubles when coming from last to first to take the Watch Racing TV Handicap by a length.
Trainer Ed Walker and jockey Tom Marquand, who have hot-favourite Starman to look forward to in tomorrow’s Group One Betfair Sprint Cup, enjoyed the perfect warm-up when Dreamweaver (9/4 Favourite) landed the concluding Pareto Financial Planning Handicap.
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