Newbury Friday review: Cattura lands feature
Narrow win for Cox star
Caturra clung on for a narrow victory in the Ire Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury.
Clive Cox’s Bath novice winner performed with plenty of credit when beaten just over three lengths into seventh in last month’s Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, and was a 7-2 chance for this Listed assignment under Adam Kirby.
After battling his way to the front, Caturra first looked likely to be picked up by 9-4 favourite Orazio and Frankie Dettori, but saw him off despite hanging slightly left.
In the final strides, Detail was then flashing home in the hands of Sean Levey, but the line came in time for Cox’s charge to prevail by a neck.
The Lambourn trainer said: “He’s a lovely horse – and it was a great run at Ascot, I thought, of all the horses who raced up with the pace.
“It wasn’t a strong pace today, and when he hit the front I felt he only just did enough because he’s very laid back – but I’m very happy.”
Caturra is set to go back up in class again next – possibly at Goodwood or York.
“I was very much keen on the Richmond (Stakes at Goodwood) after Ascot, but I didn’t think we could pass up this opportunity,” added Cox. If it had remained soft we wouldn’t have been here.
“Where we go from here will be dependent on how the horse comes out of it – we’re only two weeks away from Goodwood. We’ll be dictated by his well-being – if we do run it will be because he’s showing us he’s very well.
“The Gimcrack could be on the cards as well – his temperament is so pleasing, and we’re still learning about him. He would be just as adept over five furlongs, and today the winning distance was diminishing.”
Double delight the the Queen
Royal Ascot runner-up Reach For The Moon carried the colours of the Queen to an impressive victory in the second race on the card.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the son of Sea The Stars came close to providing Her Majesty with a winner at last month’s showpiece meeting – going down by just half a length to Aidan O’Brien’s Point Lonsdale in the Chesham Stakes.
Having also filled the runner-up spot on his racecourse debut at Yarmouth in May, Reach For The Moon was the 2-9 favourite to make it third time lucky in division two of the bet365 EBF Novice Stakes and the result was scarcely in doubt.
Always travelling strongly in the hands of Frankie Dettori, the youngster moved smoothly to the front over a furlong out before rocketing four lengths clear of Harrow.
Gosden senior said: “He was entitled to do that but there was no pace and he quickened well, that will bring him on. He’s a grand colt and we’ll look towards the Solario with him now. We could have gone straight into another Group race, but you can see he’s quite playful – we’ll leave it at that! To that extent we’ll look for a race in August and the Solario is a nice race.
“He’ll get further. He’ll be comfortable over a mile this year and over middle distances next year because he switched off with no pace today. Frankie wanted to take a lead today. In the Chesham there was a strip of ground from his draw in two and I told Frankie to stay straight, so he raced on his own in the Chesham.”
Hughes thrilled with debut win
Intelligentsia (5/1) then made a winning debut in the royal colours in the bet365 EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.
Trained by Richard Hughes, the Exceed And Excel filly showed a smart change of gear for Pat Dobbs and looked home and hosed, only for Majestic Glory to close to within a neck.
“She’d shown plenty. She’s an end of May foal, but we gave her a swing one morning and I liked what I saw, we gave her another and she’s never let me down so we saw no point hanging on,” said Hughes.
"It was important she had a flat track and nice ground. but she’s smart. The Dick Poole at Salisbury, something like that in six weeks, I don’t want to rush her. Her brother did win over seven but ended up running over five and six, so I don’t want to bring her back to five in case she gets seven, if that makes sense. On her pedigree and the speed she shows, if she gets a mile she’s really good.”
Striking start from Bayside
Bayside Boy created a big impression when winning on debut in the first division of the bet365 EBF Novice Stakes at Newbury.
Trained by Roger Varian – who was registering his first juvenile success of the season – the son of New Bay displayed a taking turn of foot.
All looked to be going to plan for John and Thady Gosden’s odds-on favourite Find as he cruised into the lead – but David Egan’s mount was made to look decidedly one-paced inside the final furlong.
Jack Mitchell did not even resort to the use of his stick as Bayside Boy (9-1) sprinted three and a quarter lengths clear.
Richard Ryan, racing manager for joint-owners Teme Valley, said: “That was very pleasing in many respects, but particularly because that is Roger’s first two-year-old winner of the season. He’s got an awful lot of nice two-year-olds at home and this lad has been doing some nice work with them so I don’t think he’s going to be Roger’s last, put it that way.
“The sire was popular at the time and this mare (Alava) has been very successful, with Forest Ranger (half-brother) her best. He’s put them to bed over seven furlongs on a flat track there and I think he’ll sharpen up. While I think he will get a mile later in the season, races like the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster will enter our minds now.”
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