Newmarket Friday review & replays

Saber strikes for in-form team

Saber Strike set up a trip to Royal Ascot after maintaining his unbeaten record with a commanding success in the Pertemps Network King Charles II Stakes.

Arriving on the back of a win in a Redcar novice contest in November the son of Night Of Thunder defied his relative inexperience to hit the jackpot in the Listed prize.

Although taking time to hit top gear, the Victorious Fever-owned colt soon put matters to bed when called on for his maximum effort during the closing stages of the seven furlong event.

After casting aside Cerro Blanco, who was himself defending an unbeaten record, there was no stopping Saber Strike who passed the post with a length and a quarter in hand to give Haggas and Marquand their third winner on the card.

Haggas said: “He is a nice horse and he has been doing really well. I was comforted by how his workmate (Division) had run at run at Ascot, who probably should have won the Pavillion. This horse is inexperienced, and we have had a debate about the trip. The owners team think he is a miler and I think he is a sprinter, so we ran him over seven furlongs.

“He didn’t look like he wanted to go back to six furlongs.”

Although Saber Strike holds an entry in the Group One Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, his triumphant trainer hinted that an outing in the Group Three Jersey Stakes is the more likely option.

He added: “He is in the Commonwealth Cup and I didn’t put him in the St James’s Palace Stakes. To me I see him as a Jersey Stakes horse and I think that would be a good race for him. I think he will get better with more experience."

Star shines under pressure

Santorini Star shone brightest of them all when making the perfect return to action with a tenacious success in the Betfred Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket.

The Golden Horn mare continued her upward trajectory when seeing out the mile half trip best of them all to bag the second Group Two success of her career in the £165,000 feature.

Last sighted chasing home Consent in the Group One Qatar Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp in October, the Tony Bloom & Ian McAleavy-owned five-year-old was, sent off the 9/4 market leader to strike gold.

Settled in behind the early pace, which was cut out by eventual runner-up Eydon, the Haggas-trained mare moved up in the hands of Marquand inside to throw down her challenge inside the two furlong pole before striking for home.

Although Eydon attempted to stage a rally on the climb to the line it was not enough with Santorini Star continuing to pull out plenty before scoring by a length and a quarter to give Haggas and Marquand their second winner on the card.

Haggas, who was celebrating his first win in the race, said: "She is very genuine and she liked the ground. She will improve for the race and she is from a family that will improve with age. You would think she would make the running, but she doesn’t need to make the running.

“She just puts her head down and wants to win. Horses like that are hard to find and Dreamloper (who is from the same family) didn’t half improve when she was five so this filly could improve as well so that is a good start to her season.”

Although Santorini Star does not hold an entry next month’s Coolmoore Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs, the Newmarket trainer admitted he will hold discussions with her connections about paying the £55,000 supplementary fee for an entry in the Group One on June 5.

He added: “I’m just sick that I didn’t put her in the Coronation Cup so we might have to supplement her. It will be discussed at length I suspect. It will be a good race, but it is always a good race. I wish I would have put her in as it would have saved all the aggro, but I didn’t as I thought I was being thrifty!

"There are no penalties in the Hardwicke Stakes as they want to get it up to a Group One. The Hardwicke is a possibility, and Ascot is lovely for everyone, but a Group One is what we want.

“We will have a go at trying to win a Group One, and she was second in one last year over an extended one mile six furlongs. She has just proved she is quick enough to win over a mile and a half at this level. I don’t know about the quality of the race, but she did it well enough.

“When they try you generally find the right race eventually.”

Earth off the mark in style

Earth Shot earned an immediate step up in class after making a stylish return to action in the Darley EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

Having chased home stablemate My Ophelia on her debut at Newbury back in October, Haggas's daughter of Time Test went one better with a clear cut victory in the mile and a quarter test.

Racing just in behind the early pace, which was cut out for much of the race by Malika, the 10/11 favourite swept to the front as the field hit the two furlong pole. Once in front the odds-on market leader galloped on relentlessly all the way to the line before scoring by five lengths from debutant Velvet Vega.

Haggas said: “It was probably not a strong race for the type of race, but she did it very nicely. I think she wants some slow-ish ground as she ran a very good race on heavy ground (last season). She handled the ground well and handled the undulations well and won comfortably.

“That was a good start to her season. She has got a bit more development to come in her skin and I think she will be okay."

Following the race Haggas stated that Earth Shot will now be aimed at the Childwickbury Stud Fillies’ Trial Stakes at Newbury on May 16 ahead of a potential tilt at the Betfred Oaks at Epsom Downs on June 5, for which Paddy Power cut her from 33/1 into 25/1.

Haggas added: “Her owners sponsor the mile and a quarter fillies' race on Lockinge day and I suspect we will have a go there and see if she is worthy of her place in the Oaks.

“She didn’t look like she was stopping to me, and the dam’s progeny have stayed very well so I’ve no doubt she will get the trip, but whether she is quite ready for a test like that (the Oaks) we will see. We ran a filly in the Newbury race last year, and she got lapped, but Sea Of Class won it. She is no Sea Of Class yet, but she is a promising looking filly."

Derby route for Egypt

All roads lead to the Betfred Derby for Ancient Egypt who demonstrated an impressive attitude to get his career back on track in the JCB Newmarket Stakes.

After surrendering his unbeaten record when beating just one rival home on his last visit to the Rowley Mile in the Group Two Tattersalls Online Royal Lodge Stakes, the son of Frankel left that effort behind when returning to winning ways in the Listed prize.

One of two runners in the mile and quarter race for Amo Racing Ltd, who were also represented by Lyneham, the 16/1 chance moved smartly into contention before locking horns with recent Newbury runner-up My Love Is King in a battle to the line.

However, the Charlie Johnston-trained colt was to emerge on top with Rowan Scott driving his mount out to glory by two lengths.

Johnston said: “Once he won his two novices we felt we had to dip our toe in a higher grade at the backend of last year, but always in the back of my head I thought we might be trying to run before we could walk.

“You only have to watch him here today messing about as he is still an immature baby. He was quite colty on his first two starts and he was learning the job slowly.

“It was a disappointing run in the Royal Lodge, and there is no getting away from that, but I didn’t lose faith in the horse. It is interesting this spring as both Rowan and David (Egan) have been in to sit on him a couple of times.

“The feedback I was getting is that we should be going a mile and a half straight away. The original plan had been to go to Chester next week, and he actually worked with Lazy Griff last Saturday, and I thought he was in great order so we shouldn’t bypass this opportunity.

“He was there to be shot at from a long way out. They probably got to within a length of him going into the dip and he has actually gone away again at the line. I don’t get sent many horses with this kind of price tag so to deliver with them is important."

Following the race Johnston insisted that Ancient Egypt will now try and go one better than stable mate Lazy Griff, who finished second in the Derby 12 months ago, in the Epsom Downs showpiece on June 6.

However, while still showing signs of immaturity Johnston believes he should handle the occasion.

He added: “He will stay the extra two furlongs standing on his head and his next run will be at Epsom.

“Touchwood, he is growing up all the time. Rowan rode him on his first two starts last year and he said he was much more grown up going down to post. That will be a very different occasion for him there, but he has got a nice blend of speed and stamina which you need for that test.

“He came down the dip here, but Epsom is another challenge altogether.”

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