A review of the rest of the action from Friday's meeting at Newmarket including free video replays.
De Sousa and Pensando snatch Rockfel
Pensando A Te (15/2) snatched a last-gasp victory in the Betway Rockfel Stakes.
For much of the Group Two contest it looked as though Light Of Dawn on front-end of the field had matters under control, leading the field into the final furlong.
However upon meeting the rising ground, the Silvestre De Sousa-ridden winner found momentum and was in front where it mattered, scoring by a short-head.
Richard and Peter Fahey's Ruby Moon (16/1) came through with Pensando A Te and was only a head away in third.
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Winning trainer Marco Botti said: “I thought she was second when I watched it the first time. I thought it was it a good run, but I was convinced that we had got beat. It was nice that she got her head in front on the line. I think Silvestre did a good job to get her settled at the back. That was the plan as the family has a lot of speed and we wanted to make sure she was relaxing through the race.
"It is never easy to come from off the pace and I was impressed with how she picked up. She showed a good attitude and fought to the line, which is good to see in a filly. I think we will just give her a break now. In a way she is still not the finished article as she is up in behind. There is a little bit of growing to do over the winter so it would be nice to put her away. Next year we will see where we can start her off, but the dream is still alive.
“There is a lot of speed in the family, but she settled well at the back and hopefully that gets her the extra furlong to a mile. We will train her with the view to be a Classic filly next year. It would be nice to have a runner in the Guineas.”
De Sousa said: “It didn’t go the way I went as Marco wanted me to come to the left and challenge from the left hand side. I kind of gave my draw away a bit and I rode the wrong race, but if I had done what I wanted she would have won by a length. You have to ride to stay, but she has got a great turn off foot. If you manage to get her relaxed she will get the mile no problem. She will challenge them (in a Guineas).”
Richard Brown, racing manger for Light Of Dawn's owners Wathnan Racing, said: “She ran a blinder, but James said she wasn’t really enjoying the ground so all credit to her. It was a big run and I’m delighted. We will put her away now and see where we go next year.
“I think there is a chance she will get a mile. I wouldn’t say it is certain, but I would say that is the route we will try and go down. I have in my mind maybe France. She has shot up behind so she will grow and level off. I think she will do very well over the winter."
Haggas star lands Rosemary
Alobayyah supplemented her Royal Ascot success when securing some valuable black type with a front running success in the Betway British EBF Rosemary Stakes at Newmarket.
Having appeared not to handle the turning mile in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Dick Hern Stakes at Haydock Park last time out, the William Haggas-trained daughter of Ghaiyyath looked a different proposition, returning to a straight mile at the same level.
Bounced straight into the lead, the 100/30 chance, who landed the Kensington Palace Stakes in June, was never headed by another rival with Tom Marquand winding matters up from the sharp end before steering his mount to glory by a length and half from Lizzana.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsMaureen Haggas, wife of the winning trainer, said: “She just prefers a straight track as she just doesn’t like being organised. She was good at the Royal meeting, but that was on a straight track. You can just sit on her and let her do her own thing.
“There is nothing wrong with her attitude, but she just wants to get on with it and do it her way. Anyway, she has got some black type, and she has won at Royal Ascot, so you can’t ask for much more. She has not been easy. She has been a real team effort to get her. Izzy (Paul) our assistant rides her a lot and she has done a brilliant job. She is not easy, but she has done so we can relax.
“Ascot was competitive, even though it wasn’t a black type race, but you don’t get much more competitive than those races. She has always been a nice filly, but it has to go her own way.”
And while a date with breeding sheds is likely to beckon sooner rather than later, a step up to Group race company before the year is out has not been totally ruled out for Alobayyah.
Haggas added: “I’m not sure she will be her next year as I think she will go try and have children. If there is a suitable race on a straight track she might go again, but we have to stick to straight tracks. That really is the key to her. I don’t think she minds cut in the ground, but she definitely needs a straight track.”
Champions Day next for Coedana
Coedana moved a step closer to a potential appearance at Qatar Racing British Champions Day after swooping late to secure victory in the Princess Royal Stakes.
After finishing sixth behind subsequent Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes hero Hotazhell in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis -Bayerisches Zuchtrennen last time out, the Ed Bethell-trained filly made the most of a drop down in class to capture the Group Three contest.
For much of the race it looked as though victory was going to head the way of long time leader, and eventual third Venetia, who continued to hold what was a decent advantage inside the final two furlongs of the mile and a half test.
However, while battling on in spirited fashion, the Ralph Beckett-trained filly could not quite pull out enough to hold off the pursuing pack, which closed in significantly with the post looming large.
And following a four-way tussle close to the line, it was the daughter of King Of Change that was to get the verdict with Connor Beasley getting the 100-30 chance home by half-a-length.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsJames Bethell, father of the winning trainer, said: “She is very good. I thought she ran a blinder in Germany, but it was a very tight track there and she likes those galloping courses. I thought she was going to be beat, but she has come back well so I’m very pleased. I thought she was going to come and win, and then I thought they were going to beat her again, but she fought on well.
“I think we were pretty hopeful that she would run a big race, and she had a nice break after that which did her the world of good. I think she has done really well.”
Following the race Coedana was trimmed into 25/1 for the Qatar Racing British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot next month, which could be a possibility according to her connections.
Bethell added: “I don’t know if she will go to Champions Day as Ed will have to make that decision and the owners. She wouldn’t have much to lose going there as she has done well today, which was very pleasing.”
Walker's Ambition shines through
Ed Walker described Sole Ambition as a ‘serious horse’ after taking the first step towards fulfilling his potential with a battling success in the Betway Bet The Responsible Way British EBF “Confined” Maiden Stakes.
Having left a low key debut third at Ffos Las behind when filling the same position in the Convivial maiden up at York, the son of No Nay Never put that experience to good use when striking gold at the third attempt in the seven furlong test.
Moving clear late on with newcomer Twelve Bars, who was backed in from double figure odds into 7/2, the 5/2 favourite found more than enough close to the line under Kieran Shoemark before prevailing by half a length.
Walker said: “He is a lovely big horse. As you would have seen in the paddock he is still a frame of a horse. He is a seriously nice horse.
"At Ffos Las, when he debuted, he ran so badly, but he was completely clueless. We saw his true colours at York and he was good today.
“It was a bit of a punt coming here today, as it looked like a good race, but we think he is a good horse.
"He is a good moving horse and I think he is probably a top of the ground horse. That was a good performance from a tricky draw.
"I don’t know if we will have another go this year, but my gut feeling is no, however we will see.”
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