Newbury Saturday review: Happy Romance wins again
Hannon does it again
Richard Hannon saddled his fourth winner of the Weatherbys Super Sprint as the well-backed Gubbass (4/1) landed the 2021 renewal.
He still has some way to go to catch his father who won the race seven times but his runner here showed tremendous resolution on only his second career start to get the better of Symphony Perfect and Delmona in a driving finish.
Leading fancies Vintage Clarets and Chipotle raced in the stands' side group but didn't figure in the finish, the latter meeting with trouble in running.
The winning trainer was completing a treble on the card following the earlier wins of Happy Romance and Tropez Power.
“We’ve always liked him a lot, we didn’t go to Ascot because he was growing – but he’s a very good horse,” said Hannon.
“He’s by a sire (Mehmas) who is getting very good horses, but my worry today was lack of experience and halfway through I thought he was going to finish eighth. But his class pulled him through. The filly ran well in second, too. He’ll probably go to the Richmond at Goodwood now, I’ve put him in the Gimcrack as well.
“He just wasn’t right before Ascot and was working moderately, there was no point going to Ascot if he wasn’t working very well and this race came at the right time in terms of Goodwood. He’s a very good two-year-old, no question, only time will tell if he’s more than that. He will probably get further, as the further he went the better he was going."
15:40 Newbury Full result and FREE video replay
1 6 Gubbass (IRE) 4/1
2 14 Symphony Perfect (IRE) 22/1
3 7 Delmona (IRE) 16/1
4 20Guilded (IRE) 33/1
Winning Trainer: R Hannon. Winning Jockey: S M Levey
Romance blooms again at Newbury
Last season's Weatherbys Super Sprint heroine Happy Romance returned to winning ways in the Group Three bet365 Hackwood Stakes.
Sean Levey was content to sit at the rear of the field aboard Hannon's charge before bringing her with a challenge inside the final furlong.
At that stage Diligent Harry and the 2020 Hackwood hero Tabdeed were engaged in a sustained duel but both were powerless to repel the winner who hit the front in the dying strides for a neck success.
She was an 11/1 selection on Ben Linfoot's ITV guide.
Winning owner Ray McMurray, who received a rapturous reception when picking up the trophy, said: “After Sandown we thought there was something there, but she just hasn’t had her ground all season.
“We thought she had every chance today, we were cautiously optimistic as the last time we had this sort of going was in the Super Sprint last year. This is better though, last year there were 10 people here!
“Richard always said she’s trained on, but he actually said the worry might be crowds as none of last year’s two-year-olds had ever seen one.
“She had to prove it today and now we might go to Goodwood and take on Battaash, I think she deserves to.”
15:00 Newbury Full result and FREE video replay
1 7 Happy Romance (IRE) 11/1
2 5 Diligent Harry 4/1
Winning Trainer: R Hannon. Winning Jockey: S M Levey
Real compensation for bin Suroor
Jockey Marco Ghiani saluted the crowd as Real World crossed the line to win the bet365 Stakes.
The jockey endured a few anxious moments as Martin Harley aboard Derab ensured he was caught in a pocket and when that rival quickened clear at the furlong pole, his mount had a battle on his hooves.
However Saeed bin Suroor's charge found a neat change of gear of his own to cut down the rival and win, going away, by a length-and-a-quarter.
The winner landed the Royal Hunt Cup last time for this jockey who said afterwards: "I really love him, he’s a really special horse and is still improving. He was stepping up in grade and trip and still did it easily. I think he can go up another step."
The winner is 6s from 8s with Sky Bet, Paddy Power and Betfair for the Golden Mile at Goodwood.
Bin Suroor said by telephone: “He’s a nice horse and he did very well after Ascot. The other day he worked on the Limekilns and he was flying. He’s improving all the time.
“Anything over a mile or 10 furlongs we’ll look at, but it will be Group races – no more handicaps for him now, he won’t go for the Golden Mile (at Goodwood).”
13:50 Newbury Full result and FREE video replay
1 8 Real World (IRE) 15/8 f
2 9 Derab 2/1
3 1 Solid Stone (IRE) 9/1
Winning Trainer: S bin Suroor. Winning Jockey: Marco Ghiani
It was swift compensation for the winning trainer who lost the opening bet365 EBF Novice Stakes in the stewards' room.
Home City was first past the post for the trainer under Louis Steward but hung to his left inside the distance and took the runner-up, Tropez Power, with him.
At the line a neck separated the pair but the officials ruled there was sufficient interference to reverse the placings.
Richard Hannon, trainer of Tropez Power, said after the amended result: “I wasn’t surprised and I feel for the first and Saeed. It’s lovely to win races, but not necessarily like that, although it looked like we were carried across the course a bit.
“Tropez Power came on massively for his run at Salisbury, which was a good run. I was disappointed with him at Haydock first time because I knew he was better than that. He kept trying and running on today and I think he’ll get a mile in time.”
13:15 Newbury Full Result and free video replay
1 17 Tropez Power (IRE) 9/1
2 6 Home City (IRE) 10/3 f
3 10 Mystery Monarch 8/1R
Winning Trainer: R Hannon. Winning Jockey: S De Sousa
De Sousa at the double
Silvestre De Sousa, who was aboard Tropez Power, completed his own double when proving a super-sub aboard Scaramanga in the Bahrain Turf Series Handicap.
A number of jockeys missed intended rides at the Berkshire venue because of traffic problems which is something the David Pipe-trained winner didn't suffer here. He sat fourth through and was punched clear passing the two furlong pole.
At that stage Jamie Spencer was unleashing the well-backed Rodrigo Diaz with his run but despite finding momentum all the way to the line he couldn't quite get to his rival, going down by half-a-length. It was four-and-a-quarter lengths back to previous winner Withhold in third.
“He was a nice spare to pick him, Hayley was stuck in traffic,” said De Sousa. “He’s a horse that stays well, I was in the right place and he put the race to bed when I wanted to.”
Paul Nicholls indicated the winner would be heading to Goodwood
14:25 Newbury Full result and FREE video replay
1 12 Scaramanga (IRE) 13/2
2 9 Rodrigo Diaz 11/4 f
3 3 Withhold 16/1
Winning Trainer: P F Nicholls. Winning Jockey: S De Sousa
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