Review of the rest of the action from Friday's meeting at Newmarket including Marie's Diamond

Paradise for dazzling Diamond

Marie’s Diamond can look forward to a step back up in class after getting his career back on track with an impressive front-running success in the Betway Paradise Stakes at Newmarket.

The son of Footstepsinthesand, one of two runners in the Listed prize for trainer Mark Johnston, never saw another rival once securing the prime position close to the far side rail.

Though Wolverhampton maiden scorer Lord Tennyson looked set to play a big part having ranged up late on, he did not have the gears to match the long-time leader with four and a quarter lengths separating the pair at the post.

Johnston said of the 14/1 victor: “It was a very good performance. There is not a lot I can say really, as it was really straightforward. He got across to the far side rail and held them all the way. It looked to me if he was going away at the finish.

“He ran very well at Wolverhampton and that did him no harm and that seven furlongs would have been sharp enough for him as he gets every inch of the mile.

“I’m not sure where we go next. I’m sure the Middleham Park boys will be looking through the book now. They are very good at spotting foreign races and are good people to train for.

“He has already won a Group race so hopefully he can go back up to that level. We will talk about going further with him given the way he finished there.”

Landmark win for Fallon

Cieren Fallon celebrated the first Group-race winner of his career as Oxted continued his progression through the sprinting ranks in the Betway Abernant Stakes at Newmarket.

Having signed off last season with victory in the Portland Handicap at Doncaster under the son of six-times champion jockey Kieren Fallon, the Roger Teal-trained four-year-old made no mistake on his first venture into Pattern company.

Hitting the front approaching the final quarter-mile of the six-furlong Group Three prize, the 7/2 chance kept on strongly to repel the late challenge of Breathtaking Look by a length.

Teal said: “It has been a stop-start campaign and I had him primed to run in this in April. Thankfully we eased off with him and when we got the date for this we knew what was happening so we stoked him up a bit and God bless him he has done it well.

“He popped out and travelled lovely. I saw him powering up the hill. Cieren said he was just having a bit of a look around, but he did it nicely.”

Teal hopes this is the first of many big days for Oxted, who could next be seen at Royal Ascot in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, for which he was introduced at 20/1 by Betway and 12/1 with Betfair.

Teal added: “My plan is the July Cup with this horse. I think as he won today he is a sprinter on the up. I’ll speak to the owners, as I think they want to go to Ascot. I feel he is a six-furlong horse.”

The Lambourn handler, who will saddle Kenzai Warrior in the Qipco 2000 Guineas on Saturday, had nothing but praise for the winning rider following his landmark success.

He said: “He gets on really well with the horse, so if ain’t broke don’t fix it. Cieren is on the up as well and he won’t be claiming three (pounds) for very long!”

Fallon said: “I controlled the pace on the rail, and when I asked him to pick up and lengthen he picked up and hit the rising ground really well. Hopefully it’s onwards and upwards for the rest of the season for him.

“He was a little bit immature last year and Mr Teal and the team have done a great job to mentally get him to the right place. He’s grown up and strengthened and he’s proved that today.

“All credit to Mr Teal, I couldn’t use my claim in this race and he kept me on him. Hopefully I can start to improve as a rider. Mr (William Haggas) sent me away to America to get my fractions right and I showed the benefit there.”

Tinto back up upgrade

Tinto resumed his progression switched back to turf to set up a tilt at the Wokingham at Royal Ascot with a surprise success in the Betway Handicap.

Bouncing off the quick ground in the hands of former champion jockey Jim Crowley, the Amanda Perrett-trained 40/1 winner was not for stopping in the six-furlong dash, with the four-year-old crossing the line a length a quarter clear of Summerghand.

Perrett’s husband, Mark, said: “He came good at the back end last season a couple of times and he has carried on in the same vein back on turf. It was a good performance off 100.

“Maybe we will let him take his chance in the Wokingham as we have nothing to lose. He is a tough, hardy little horse. He does love that quick ground.”

Beauty show in the opener

Pure Beauty rewarded trainer Saeed bin Suroor’s patience to get him off the mark for the season with a clear-cut success in the opening division of the Betway EBF Stallions Maiden Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket.

Putting her injury troubles behind her the four-year-old daughter of Shamardal only needed to pushed out with hands and heels by Pat Cosgrave to collect the seven-furlong contest by two lengths on her belated debut.

Bin Suroor said of the 7/2 shot: “Every time she was ready to go last year she would have a problem and we would have to stop with her.

“This year she has improved and is a better filly than before. She has always shown some class and today she won well. Talking to the jockey she wants further, a mile. We will keep options open, as for Royal Ascot we will see.”

Godolphin double up

Only time will tell if Renaissance Queen (3/1) is anything near as good as her dual Group One-winning half-brother Old Persian. However, she made the perfect start to her career when taking the Betway EBF Stallions Fillies' Novice Stakes by a length.

Winning trainer Charlie Appleby said: "She is bred to stay and William (Buick) said stamina is her forte. She saw the trip out well. A filly with her pedigree we will try to find a bit of black type and if we place her right she should pick it up.

"I thought she might get caught out with inexperience as she is very raw at home and we have not put much work into her, as she is a light framed filly."

The victory completed doubles on the day for Appleby and Buick who were on the mark earlier with Ghaiyyath (11/10) in the Group One Hurworth Bloodstock Coronation Cup.

John Gosden already has a yard full of established Group-race performers and Ricetta (5/4) could soon be another name on that list after getting up by three-quarters of a length in division two of the Betway EBF Stallions Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

Gosden said: "She got in a bit of a muddle and she will be better over a mile. She was stuck out on her own in stall 12. We can't make plans at the moment as this is year is like no other."

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