Newbury Saturday review and replays

Bear springs surprise in Newbury opener

Thunderbear wore down long-time leader Nymphadora (11/4) to spring a 12/1 surprise in the Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes.

The pair had the race between them from some way out and it was entering the final furlong that Sean Levey took the winner past the trailblazer.

Oisin Murphy conjured a brave rally from the runner-up but it was repelled by a neck with Sense Of Duty, a big market drifter on her belated reappearance, running on for the third having been very keen through the early stages.

Winning trainer Jack Davison said: " “Once we saw the rain was coming we were happy to give him the entry and we were glad it stayed soft. He ran well at Royal Ascot (eighth in the Jersey) and won at Nottingham, and though he’s had a busy season and travelled a lot he had the ground. We decided to drop him back to five and ride him prominently, and Sean gave him a lovely ride.

“I had an odds on winner here (She’s Quality) earlier in the season – there was pressure that day – and she will run in the Cheveley Park at Newmarket on Saturday.”

Levey said: “Give credit where it’s due they came here and they conquered. He was a great ride and he loved the ground.”

Sleepy rolls back the years

Not So Sleepy (15/2) ran out a popular winner of the Dubai Duty Free Autumn Cup Handicap.

The veteran 11-year-old was racing for the first time since the Unibet Champion Hurdle in March and set out to make all under Oisin Murphy.

He fleetingly looked in trouble passing the furlong marker as the younger legs of three-year-old Salt Bay (9/2) closed in but Hughie Morrison's charge soon fought off that challenge and won, going away, by two lengths.

"He's extraordinary isn't he," the winning trainer told ITV Racing. "It's quite amazing he's come back as good as he has because after the Champion Hurdle we thought maybe that was it. But a nice rest and he's loved it today. He hasn't changed in nine years.It's what racing is about as far as I'm concerned, the pleasure of seeing that will keep me going for a week or two!"

So where now for the winner?

"This was meant to be a warm-up for the Cesarewitch but he has a penalty now so we'll go away and think about it. The plan was originally Cesarewitch then the Fighting Fifth. We can always be Constitution Hill's bridesmaid or pacemaker but maybe he'll go chasing," Morrison added.

Winning Play in Dubai Duty Free

Ralph Beckett’s Balance Play (3/1 joint-favourite) had disappointed on his hat-trick bid when favourite for a valuable race at the Ebor meeting but got back on the winning trail in straightforward fashion in the Dubai Duty Free Handicap for Hector Crouch.

Beckett said: “He’s a tough beggar who puts it all in but York was a disaster – I thought with his tiny feet he would handle fast ground but he never got into any kind of rhythm. He’s really got the hang of racing now but that fast ground at York threw him off. Today it all went to plan and he’s perfect for the November Handicap while he’s also in the Horses in Training Sale.”

Beckett was also on the mark in the Horris Hill School EBF Novice Stakes in which he was responsible for the first two home.

It seemed as if Laura Pearson had nicked it when New Chelsea went several lengths clear but he began to tire inside the final furlong and was reeled in by Feigning Madness and Hector Crouch.

“He’s very backward and immature and has taken a long time to come to hand,” said Beckett of the debut winner.

• Pearl D’or (7/2) won the Conundrum Consulting Handicap for James Doyle and David O’Meara

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