A review of the action from Friday's meeting at Newmarket where Robert Havlin rode his first Group One winner aboard Commissioning.
Landmark winner for Havlin
Robert Havlin rode his first Group One winner but Commissioning's bet365 Fillies' Mile success wasn't without a scare for punters who sent her off the 8/13 favourite.
John and Thady Gosden's charge tracked the front-running Novakai (11/1) throughout but was off the bridle as the leader still held the advantage coming down into The Dip.
The complexion of the race changed when she met the rising ground, though, and Havlin soon had her in front for a length success.
The pair pulled four-and-three-quarter lengths clear of Bright Diamond (7/1) in third, who like the runner-up is trained by Karl Burke.
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Frankie Dettori, serving the final day of a suspension, was on course to witness his friend gain such a notable success and told ITV Racing: “He’s been a massive part of Clarehaven for over 20 years. He’s 49 years old and has never won a Group One so I could not miss this, to watch one of my best friends win a Group One.
“Rab is a key part of our team, most of my success is down to Rab as he’s prepared most of my best horses all my life. He’s a personal best friend and I’m delighted for him – finally he’s done it!”
Havlin said: “We got there in the end. Frankie needs to get banned more often! She gave me a worrying moment in the dip as she got a bit unbalanced, but when she hit the rising ground she took off. She’s still a long way from being the finished article mentally, but she can get herself out of trouble. I’m glad to get the job done, that was a relief.
“She’s got the tactical speed for a Guineas. I rode her mother and she would have stayed a mile and a half, but she only had two runs. Hopefully the next Group One doesn’t take another 30 years!”
Robert Havlin wins on Commissioning
Sky Bet, Paddy Power and Betfair all cut the winner to 4/1 for next year's QIPCO 1000 Guineas.
"She is clearly a very exciting prospect and looks likely to be ante-post favourite over the winter months for next years 1000 Guineas," said Sky Bet Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners.
John Gosden said: “There was a strong pace and a big old crosswind, which got her a bit unbalanced. Coming into the dip she changed legs, but when she met the riding ground she took off well and I think it took to the Cambridge Road to pull her up, so that was great. But for Rab Havlin, nobody deserves it more. It’s a fantastic achievement, a bit like Sir Mark (Prescott) with his Arc last weekend.”
Thady Gosden echoed his father’s sentiments, saying: “Everyone loves Rab – you couldn’t find a better man and nobody deserves it more. The filly has got plenty of speed and is by Kingman, but the mother is by Galileo and she stayed well. We’ll see how she is in the spring and how she’s training, but she’s obviously a filly you’d look towards a race like that (1000 Guineas) for.”
Fillies' Mile - Timeform first thoughts...
(David Cleary)
Odds-on Commissioning duly followed up her win in the Rockfel Stakes with success in the Group 1 Fillies' Mile. However, she took a while to get on top of the front-running Novakai and was not such a clear-cut winner as she had been two weeks previously.
On balance, with the first two drawing right away late on, it seems fair to credit the runner-up with a fair amount of improvement. Novakai has a middle-distance pedigree and probably benefited from more emphasis on stamina than had been the case in the May Hill.
As for Commissioning, she possibly wasn't quite so at ease on the track, faced with firmer ground than she'd encountered in the Rockfel. Having faltered briefly two out, she quickened well entering the final furlong and was probably value for a bit more than her winning margin.
Commissioning's form, on a par with her effort in the Rockfel, rates a little behind that shown by Tahiyra in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, but she remains with potential to improve further and will be a worthy contender for the Guineas back here next spring.
Breeders' Cup beckons for Pogo
Pogo went one better than 12 months ago when holding off Sacred in the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes at Newmarket to tee up a crack at the Breeders’ Cup.
Ridden by soon-to-be-crowned champion jockey William Buick, partnering his 150th winner of the season, the Charlie Hills-trained six-year-old was winning for the eighth time.
Better than ever, Pogo (7/4) had already won two Group Threes and chased home impressive Prix de la Foret winner Kinross in the City of York Stakes last time out. Allowed to bowl along in front, he had Misty Grey for company before the race developed in earnest.
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Tom Marquand decided to drop Sacred out in the rear and when she began to make her move going into the dip, it looked likely to be decisive. Sacred began to drift right on the meeting the rising ground, though, and with the rail to help, Pogo ran out a comfortable length-and-a-quarter winner.
Hills said: “He’s such a star of a horse, he really is. He’s been to most battles this year and has very rarely come up short. Everything looked good today – he had a nice draw on the rail. The plan was to make the running and it worked out well. He’s a really tough boy. If everything horse was like him it would be very easy.
“He has a great cruising speed and he’s aggressive. Even as a yearling he was quite hard to break in – he spent most of his time on two legs! He’s always liked plenty of graft and loves racing.”
He added: “I think we’ll look towards America and the Breeders’ Cup. He’s got good gate speed. We ran him in Saudi Arabia in the sprint and he made the running there, which takes some doing against sprinters.”
Mile shows Classic potential
Midnight Mile showed Classic potential in coming with a strong late run to cause a 22/1 surprise in the Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket.
A debut winner at Doncaster in July, she had not been seen since, but hailing from an illustrious family that includes Yesterday and Quarter Moon and running in the same colours, the No Nay Never filly clearly has a bright future.
Just a few days on from landing the Prix de l’Abbaye with stable star The Platinum Queen, trainer Richard Fahey was celebrating another big-race victory – this time notably with his relatively new stable jockey Oisin Orr, with the pair enjoying their biggest success together.
A little short of room with two furlongs to run, Orr – winning his first race on the Rowley Mile – had to take his medicine as the race developed up front with Ralph Beckett’s Loose Yourself, another unbeaten filly, hitting the front.
When the gap eventually appeared, Midnight Mile took off on hitting the rising ground and won by a head, with three-quarters of a length back to Small Oasis.
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Paddy Power and Betfair introduced the winner into their 1000 Guineas betting at 33/1.
“We thought she was a nice filly and thought she wouldn’t be out of her depth,” said Fahey’s assistant, Robin O’Ryan. “To say we thought we’d win might be stretching it, but we knew she wouldn’t disgrace herself.
“She’s a nice filly with a great temperament and gets the trip well, so we’ve just taken our time with her. She’d won her race and we thought we’d see how she came on for it. I think we’ll put away her and dream now. I think that (a Guineas trial) would be the obvious target – I think handicaps will be out now!”
Midnight Mile goes on to win the Oh So Sharp
Portman strikes again at Newmarket
Rumstar provided his trainer Jonathan Portman with a third winner from as many runners in the Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes at Newmarket.
The Upper Lambourn handler claimed the Group Three prize twice in three years with Royal Razalma (2014) and Mrs Danvers (2016), and Rumstar was an 8-1 shot to add his name to the roll of honour.
A winner at Bath and Goodwood earlier in the season, and fourth in the Sirenia Stakes at Kempton last month, the Havana Grey colt was given a patient ride by Rob Hornby as 7/4 favourite Prince Of Pillo attempted to make nearly every yard of the running.
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He was unable to resist the challenge of fellow Middleham Park-racing owned runner Maylandsea, before Rumstar finished with a flourish to beat them both.
Portman said: “I’ve had this race in mind for a long time. I do like the race – I’ve only had two runners in the race before and they both won. He’s a smashing little horse and very straightforward. I’m very lucky to have him. Everyone was asking why we were dropping back to five (furlongs), but you need to stay here.I have a lot of faith in the horse. He’s only little, but he’s so tough.
“We’ll put him away now, I would think. He’s not a natural five-furlong horse, but on a track like this you get away with it. He’ll definitely go six and if he had to get seven he would.”
Portman hopes the victory will be a boost to his yard, adding: “It is important for us to have a winner like this. The big trainers are getting bigger and I think the smaller trainers get overlooked.
“We were just lucky to get this horse. He’s homebred and we were lucky the breeder decided to send him to me. You need a bit of luck in this game. I hope this has done my profile no harm.”
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