Newmarket review on bet365 Craven day including free video replays
By Sporting Life
17:57 · THU April 18, 2024
A review of the action from the final day of the bet365 Craven meeting at Newmarket where Haatem readily won the meeting's feature Classic trial.
Hannon sends out warning shot
Richard Hannon, trainer of QIPCO 2000 Guineas second-favourite Rosallion, claimed the Classic's principal trial as Haatem (17/2) made a fine return to action under jockey Sean Levey in Thursday's bet365 Craven Stakes.
Haatem, a son of Phoenix Of Spain and winner of last year's Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, was last seen finishing a well-held fifth of eight behind hot Guineas favourite City Of Troy in the Dewhurst Stakes but he wasted no time in getting back to winning ways as a three-year-old on his return to the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket.
He settled nicely on the shoulder of early leader Cambridge in the Group 3 event, before quickening up smartly on the run into the dip. When he emerged for the final climb to the line, Haatem had skipped well clear of the field and was just kept up to his work to beat Eben Shaddad (100/30), who ended up three and a half lengths back in second.
There was another two and a quarter back to Sons And Lovers (28/1) in third, with Cambridge having to settle for fourth.
The disappointments of the race were Charlie Appleby's all-weather winner Native Approach, who was lit up early on under William Buick and looked a spent force with two furlongs to travel, and Andre Fabre's 2/1 favourite Alcantor, who tried to track the Godolphin horse but could never get competitive in the hands of Alexis Pouchin.
Haatem was cut from 100/1 to 20/1 by Paddy Power and Betfair for the 2000 Guineas.
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“The way he did it has surprised me, but you can’t say that was a fluke. He’s obviously improved a lot physically – he’s a big, strong, impressive horse,” said Hannon.
“He’s a good horse and he’s just won a Craven by three and a half lengths. He won a Vintage Stakes with the subsequent Champagne Stakes winner behind him and he was fifth in a Dewhurst.
“Funnily enough, I said to Sean after the last race I thought he’d get the trip well and it seems the horses who have been making the running all week have been winning and have been hard to peg back. I know he didn’t make the running, but I don’t think you can say that is an average performance, he was pretty good there."
Hannon is ready to let both of his pair line up at Newmarket next month, but did mention a couple of potential alternatives for Haatem.
He added: “This is the racecourse and this is where it matters and on what he has done today, the 20/1 on offer for the 2000 Guineas could be generous to me.
“Rosallion is a horse that contains an awful lot of speed, whereas this is a horse who gets the trip extremely well. Rosallion will get the mile and they will both probably run (in the Guineas).
“We’ve made no secret about how good we think Rosallion is. This horse has surprised me in the manner in which he did it, but I don’t think he should ever have been a 20/1 shot for the race like he was yesterday. It’s nice to have two very good milers on our hands and two with very good chances in the Guineas – one with an exceptional chance and one with a better chance than he had before.
“He’s in the German Guineas and Irish Guineas as well and I think he will be a force to be reckoned with wherever he goes. I’m delighted and the owners are delighted – they deserve it."
Levey said: “No doubt he (Haatem) is exposed, but I thought he brought a lot of good form to the table. He was a big horse last year and I always thought he was doing well to do as well as he did because I knew he would get better in time.
“I wasn’t expecting that sort of run today, he’s obviously been hiding a bit from me at home. I thought he wanted a mile and a quarter, but I think he has done that really well and he’s going to show his hand in the Guineas.
“Rosallion is a good horse and it gives you a bit of confidence to see this lad win the way he did. I hope I’m right (when I say) that he (Rosallion) is exceptional."
Heady Heights for Ryan
Washington Heights landed a shock 33/1 success in the Group 3 Connaught Access Flooring Abernant Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday.
Trainer Kevin Ryan was continuing an excellent record in the race having won it four times between 2014 and 2018, this four-year-old kicking on from a wide-margin success in Sweden when he was last seen.
Quickly away under Tom Eaves, he made all as nothing came from off the pace to challenge him, Mill Stream finishing second with the running-on Spycatcher third.
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Adam Ryan, assistant to his father Kevin, said of the winner: “He was a bit of an unlucky horse last year and he bumped into Shaquille first time out giving him weight.
“The good thing about him is he is very consistent and he deserved to get his head in front in Sweden. This year was always going to be about if he could take the next step up and he has certainly done that.
“He’s such a genuine horse and if you had 100 like him it would be an easy game. He’s always going to give you 110 per cent and once his head is in front he is always going to be hard to pass.
“It’s a good starting point to the year and generally at this time of year the weather can be a bit in and out, but it’s usually all right here and it’s a nice place for these sprinters to start.
“The Duke Of York or the Greenlands Stakes in in Ireland could be the next port of call and he’s an exciting horse to look forward to.”
Cosmo Charlton, representing the winning owners, Hambleton Racing Ltd, said: “We’ve got quite a few of the syndicate here today and everyone was really excited.
“He’s done well over the winter and was impressive over in Sweden last year so we were hoping he was going to run above his odds today.
“He’s a horse who tried very hard in his races and he’s run loads of really good races for us. It was a strong Group Three today and almost a Group Two on paper and he just has a tremendous attitude and Tom just said he tries very hard for you and digs deep. I sort of knew he had won a furlong out to be honest.
“Tom has given him a great ride from the front and has got the job done and he looks like a sprinter to follow for the season.
“Kevin wins this race a lot and is a fantastic trainer of fast horses and it looks like he’s bought another really nice one for us. The owners have really bonded with him and to come here and win in Group company, hopefully there are exciting things ahead.
“He has options and he’s in the Duke Of York and the Greenlands. They have great prize-money and will be fun days out and the dream is very much alive with this horse about where he could take us in the future.”
Appleby lands double delight
First Conquest (right) wins the Wood Ditton
Charlie Appleby's First Conquest (4/1) held on from the fast-finishing Lead Artist to win the bet365 Wood Ditton Maiden Stakes by a whisker.
The unraced field showed their inexperience beforehand as Dancing Away lived up to her name by getting loose and she was withdrawn, while the loading process took an age.
First Conquest behaved like a lamb, though, and William Buick controlled things on him from the front end, only for the penny to drop with Lead Artist for the Gosdens late on.
First Conquest had his head down on the finishing line to hold on by a nose, with Earl Of Rochester back in third.
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As a gelding this year’s Wood Ditton winner does not have Classic aspirations, with Appleby eyeing a more low-key campaign.
He said: “He’s been schooled up there at home and is from a family we have known. He worked with a nicer horse that ran well earlier in the week as well so we were confident, barring greenness. He hit the lids and was very professional throughout.
“At the moment I hope he will be a nice, progressive handicapper and stepping up in trip in time he can be a proper mile-and-a-quarter type of horse.
“The thing about the Wood Ditton is years ago when you’d win it you would have to throw them in at the deep end, but now with the change of the programme we can give these horses a chance and let them develop in their own manner.”
There was another narrow winner for Appleby and Buick as Endless Victory nailed Salamanca on the bob in the bet365 EBF 'Confined' Novice Stakes.
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Rest of the action...
Woodhay Wonder wins at Newmarket
Woodhay Wonder (17/2) landed the opening bet365 Handicap over six furlongs for three-year-olds under Tom Marquand.
Tom Ward's filly began where she finished off last season with victory, adding to her two Newmarket wins on the July Course and Rowley Mile course on her final two starts as a juvenile. She came home three-quarters-of-a-length in front of Trefor, with Dapper Valley third and Chief Mankato fourth.
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The Rossdales Maiden Fillies' Stakes went to Rolica and Hollie Doyle, who just collared the front-running joint-favourite Vicario (9/4) in the closing stages.
The Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained winner was delivering on the promise of her debut third at Nottingham in the autumn, ultimately scoring by a neck at odds of 9/2. Third went to Looking For Queen at odds of 15/2.
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