Go Racing in Yorkshire Summer Festival Doncaster review

Scour the land for a fairer and finer racecourse than Doncaster and you’re likely to return home with an empty notebook.

The regard in which Town Moor is held by owners and trainers far and wide is indisputable and was once again in evidence on Thursday evening for the fifth day of Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was one of the several Newmarket raiders to have made the journey through the stormy weather up the A1(M) that shone brightest of all.

“We feel this is such a nice track, with the long straight and the ground is always just right. It’s ideal for some of the nicer horses,” was the glowing praise from Marco Botti’s travelling head lad, Mario Gussago, after their Dark Acclaim (13/2) had powered to a wide-margin victory in the Terry Bellas Memorial Novice Stakes.

“He’s always worked really, really well at home and we are obviously delighted,” added arguably the most dashing young Italian ever to have set foot in Yorkshire.

“We did expect something like that. As you could see he is still quite green as he wanted to come back into the parade ring before the start but we knew he would have come forward a lot from the first time out at Haydock, where the ground was against him.

“He’s a big horse with a nice action and we thought a bit of cut in the ground would be good as it’s in his pedigree. He’s going to be going over a mile this season I’d have thought as he’s not a seven furlong horse, he already wants further.

“He’s such a big two-year-old and we thought we had a chance so it’s job done.”

Tim Palin, representing winning owners Middleham Park Racing, went one step further by suggesting the Dark Angel colt’s next possible assignment could well be in the top grade.

“He’s (Gussago) been hinting that the Lagardere (Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, Longchamp) could be the plan. We’ll be giving him a break now as he’s the sort of horse who we need to look after and he could be in line for a trip to France in the autumn.

“The straight, stamina-sapping seven furlongs was the big attraction of coming here and we could just use his stride. It’s also a ‘Plus 10’ event so that was another reason to go for it here rather than in a lesser contest in the same grade.

“He’s in superb hands and they’ll bring him along nice and steadily for mile and a quarter or mile and a half races next year. That’s our (Middleham Park) 48th winner of the year and we’re quite excited about this one.”

Wasm (10/1) immediately clicked into Yorkshire Summer Festival mode when making a successful start for Nawton-based Roger Fell in the Polypipe Maiden Stakes.

Twice out with the washing for Simon Crisford at the start of the season, the decision to drop to seven furlongs paid dividends for a slightly bewildered Fell.

“I'm quite surprised,“ remarked the in-form trainer, who went on to complete a double through Muatadel in the Pegler Yorkshire Handicap Stakes.

“He was bought by Nick Bradley quite recently (5,500 gns, Tattersalls July). Maybe it’s the Yorkshire air.

“In all honestly I think the race just went Wasm's way. We didn’t know, we just said to drop him out and ride him as you find him. Dropping back in trip was obviously the right thing to do.”

Nigel Tinkler’s Kaeso is (3/1 joint-favourite) quietly developing into one of the most progressive three-year-old sprinters around (albeit at a relatively low level) and completed a remarkable four-timer in the Sky Bet Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival Handicap.

With handicap wins in April, May and June already in the bag, the obvious question to Tinkler was met with the most obvious of answers: “Well I suppose we’d better start looking for a race for him in August next then.

“He’s proving a good fun horse and it’s great for the owners. It’s extremely soft ground out there now and he definitely doesn’t want it that bad but he’s got a big heart and he’s clearly still improving.”