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Appleby hails Loughnane

Charlie Appleby was quick to praise the front running tactics deployed by Billy Loughnane aboard Silent Love, who completed a hat-trick of wins for the campaign after toughing it out from the front in the Princess Royal Stakes.

Arriving on the back of a maiden success at Kempton Park and victory on the July Course in the British Stallion Studs EBF Chalice Stakes, the daughter of Dubawi continued her progression when successfully taking a step up to Group Three company in her stride.

After winning the race in the dash to get the early lead before the field took their sole turn in the mile and a half prize, the 4-1 chance was not for passing out in front under Loughnane despite the best attempts of those in behind.

With the field stacked up in behind with four furlongs to go it was going to take a brave effort for Silent Love to remain in front with a whole host of her rivals still travelling supremely well. However, Silent Love proved equal to the task under a determined Loughnane with the pair continuing to pull out more in the closing stages before holding off the staying on Karmology by a neck.

Appleby said: “I’m pleased with that. It was obviously a great front running ride by Billy. She is a filly that stays, and stays well, and that is why we purposely popped her out in front there. I said to Billy if she gets in a rhythm she will stay, whether she is good enough we will find out, but I have to say she kept galloping and I can’t really fault her there.

“Spirited Style had run in the German Oaks and I was disappointed there, but we put a line through that as she didn’t handle the track at all. On home evidence needless to say that is why William (Buick) was on her. On home evidence she has probably got a bit more dash. They went a nice gallop without going end-to-end and it suited the filly in front, but it might not have suited the filly that was dropped out there. It is nice to get a winner on the board.”

And following the victory Appleby admitted he was keen to see Silent Love continue to race on at four.

He added: “At this time of year everyone is asking what is being retired with respect to the fillies and colts. She is a filly I would probably say is worth keeping in training and working back from those one mile six furlong races next season. She has done little wrong and on that evidence I think she can take the next level up.”

Johnston faith in Francophone vindicated

Charlie Johnston saw his decision to continue pitching Francophone in at Listed level vindicated with victory in the BoyleSports British EBF Rosemary Stakes at Newmarket.

One of two runners in the mile prize for Johnston alongside Arisaig, the 9/1 chance added a second win at the level, and her first since winning last year’s William Hill Height Of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood, to her name when swooping late in the £55,000 contest.

Anchored near the rear of the field early doors by Joe Fanning, the daughter of Study Of Man, enjoyed a dream passage close to the stands side rail throughout the race to sail into contention approaching the final two furlongs.

After gaining momentum with every stride the Kirsten Rausing-owned four-year-old put her assured stamina to use late on when moving on past stablemate, and eventual third Arisaig, before passing Hey Boo close to the line and scoring by three-quarters of a length.

Johnston said: “Arisaig came here with the much more obvious claims off the back of her Celebration Mile run. A week ago I was planning to run Francophone in a handicap somewhere and thankfully the ground was bottomless up at Ayr. She worked last Friday and Joe came and had a sit on her and I thought this filly is back to her best so I thought let’s not muck around with handicaps and get into some black type races.

“She is a talented filly. Based on when she won the Listed race at Goodwood last year I hoped she would be competing above this level really. The wheels came off a bit through the middle part of the year. She just lost her way after Ascot. She did have a tough trip around in the Pipalong at Pontefract as she was always stuck wide.

“I’d struggle to count the numbers of this family we have had over the last twenty years. It has been a fantastic family for us, and for Kirsten, and it is a privilege to train the family generation after generation.”

Pride set for busy winter

John Gosden will look towards giving Lion’s Pride a winter campaign on the all-weather after he roared back to form with a decisive success in the BoyleSports Smart Race Card Godolphin Stakes.

The gelded son of Roaring Lion showed he was ready to roll on his first start since April when turning what looked an intriguing Listed contest into a procession under Robert Havlin. Much of the focus before the race was centred around the Charlie Appleby-trained By The Book, who was sent off the 5/4 favourite to maintain his unbeaten record on his first start in 295-days.

As last year’s winner Burdett Road relinquished his lead it looked, for a fleeting moment, that the short-priced favourite would maintain his unbeaten record, however he was swiftly passed by the eventual winner over a furlong from home. Maintaining a solid gallop all the way to the line, Lion’s Pride eventually passed the post seven lengths clear of Isle Of Jura, who was making his first start since winning last year’s Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Gosden, who trains the winner in partnership with his son Thady, said: “He has been off a long time, but he is a grand horse. He is a son of Roaring Lion and he has always had a lot of ability. I didn’t quite expect him to win like that, but I thought he would run well. He sprouted wings off a strong pace. I was very pleased with how he was travelling in the race and then he had to wait to get a run, but then to see him do that was good.

“It is great for the owner breeder (Anthony Oppenheimer) who has been very patient and it is good for old Roaring Lion, who is no longer with us. This is summer ground and he loves it. There are all those all-weather races coming up in the winter and we could look at those carrying a penalty.”

Scott pleased with Jura return

While there was no winning return to action for Isle Of Jura his trainer George Scott was delighted with his effort and admitted all roads now lead to the Bahrain International Trophy in November.

Scott said: “I’m very happy. Billy (Loughnane) said he was very rusty and to me he raced like a horse that had been off for a long time. Billy was squeezing him from a long way out, but as he moved into the race you saw the old Isle Of Jura and he loomed into the race. He got a bit tired, but he was beaten fair and square on the day. It was a really pleasing return to racing for him.

“We know he loves that track (in Bahrain) and we knew it would take a run to blow the cobwebs away, but the timing works well. He is an incredibly important horse to us and it is nice to have him back.”

Enoch completes double for Gosdens

There was further success on the card for the Gosdens and Havlin after Enoch made a winning debut in the BoyleSports Daily Money Back Meetings British EBF “Confined” Maiden Stakes.

The son of Frankel, who is related to multiple Group One scorer Almanzor, wasted no time in getting off the mark when thundering home late on in the seven furlong prize under Havlin to defeat Battle Apple by a length and a quarter. And following the race connections hinted that a step up in class could beckon for the George Strawbridge-owned colt before the year is out.

John Gosden said: “He did well. There was a nice pace and he got a nice run up the rail. He has quickened well and I liked the last furlong the best. He is a horse that we have taken our time with. The mare (Darkova) had one brilliant horse and it has not worked out too well since then, but hopefully this is a smart colt.

“He is not over big, but I like the way he has improved in his work in the last six weeks. He did it well in the end and Rab had a nice feel from him in his work the other day. We didn’t expect him to come and win, but he has run a great race.

“We are still in September just and I would like to see what else there is for him. There might be a change of ground by then, but we will just have a look. We didn’t expect him to win, but run well, so we have got to think a bit differently. He could go to a novice or something more interesting. The equivalent of the Montrose Fillies’ Stakes, could be an option, something like the Silver Tankard possibly.”

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