Haydock Saturday review: Sallaal wins Rose Of Lancaster

Progressive Sallaal passes latest test in style

Sallaal took the step into Group company in his stride when landing the Betway Rose Of Lancaster Stakes for Roger Varian and Ray Dawson.

A spectacular winner of a handicap at the Betfred Derby Festival, he followed up in a Listed race at Sandown next time but was in deeper on Saturday.

Sea Scout set out to make all the running and battled on tenaciously against the far rail but the 1/2 favourite had him covered inside the final furlong and ran on strongly to win by a length-and-three-quarters.

The winning rider said: “I was delighted with him. It’s probably the slowest he’s ever been in a race but he coped with it well. I’m delighted with his progression.

“It was kind of a sprint the last three-and-a-half furlongs and he’s not a sprinter, he’s more of a stayer. He’s not slow by any means but he stays very well and has a good cruising speed. The race worked against us today because we couldn’t use that cruising speed but once he’s felt Oisin (Murphy) and his horse come to me, he’s gone on.

“He was hard to pull up and it will be exciting to see where he goes.”

Burrows delight as Calendar Girl makes winning return

Calendar Girl defied an absence of 302 days to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Dick Hern Stakes.

Owen Burrows charge showed no signs of rustiness and was strong at the finish as she hit the line a length-and-a-quarter ahead of Pacific Mission with 11/8 favourite Fallen Angel a further neck away in third.

“It was very pleasing. It was a big team effort. For whatever reason through the early spring, I wasn’t happy with her. She just wasn’t healthy, I just couldn’t get a clean scope off her. The rest of my string seemed fine.

“She had all of May turned out and came back in, put on plenty of condition and it’s taken me this long to get her fit. Hopefully she can go on to better things. She has a Sun Chariot entry, there’s the possibility of the Breeders’ Cup so we’ll see. It’s great to get her back on the track. She’s been showing the right signs at home.”

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