Newmarket review: Reina Del Mar reigns for Ed Walker

Reina Del Mar (16/5 favourite) showed why connections were keen to keep her in training after securing her first victory since returning from a lengthy absence with a tenacious success in the Discover Newmarket Handicap on Thursday.

After missing the entire 2022 campaign the Ed Walker-trained five year old carried the colours of owner David Ward, who enjoyed his finest moment with Starman at the track in the 2021 July Cup, to victory by three and three quarter lengths.

Walker said of the winner: “She missed the whole of last year but she was a really exciting filly the year before. We are back on track now.

“At Salisbury she ran okay but it was a bit of a messy race then at Windsor Tom (Marquand) felt it was too quick.

“We’ve not kept her in training just to win 0-70 handicaps as she certainly always promised to be better than that.”

There was further success on the card for Lambourn handler Walker after Hafeet Alain (15/2) made all under Connor Planas to land the #weareracing Handicap by a length and a half.

Trainer Rod Millman continued to prove the man to follow at Newmarket’s July Course after securing what he described was a ‘very satisfying’ 168/1 double at the track which was completed by Able Kane in the Celebrating Racing’s Workforce Handicap.

After saddling a brace of winners during the opening meeting of the season at the course on Friday, the Devon handler made the long journey back to Suffolk a worthwhile one after matching that tally through the Due Diligence gelding and Just A Spark. Both winners were returned at 12/1.

Although stopping short of predicting the victories of both horses Millman admitted that hoped he wouldn’t be leaving the course empty handed.

Millman said: “When I filled up with diesel this morning I hoped I would get some money back as it is a long way to come.

“It is lovely coming up here and having winners at headquarters. It is very satisfying.”

Without a win to his name since posting a clear-cut success at Ffos Las just under a year ago Able Kane set the record straight when scoring by two lengths to give Ben Curtis his second winner on the card.

Millman said of the successful six year old: “He is a good old horse. He had the tongue tie on today and we put the blinkers back on.

“He had a hard race a Goodwood and it just took a while to get him sweet again but he has always been a nice horse.”

Reverting back to bay coloured horses has proven a winning formula for the Next Ones A Grey Partnership who watched on with delight after Just A Spark secured her fourth victory this year in the Newmarket Racecourses Supporting Racing Staff Week Handicap.

Having rattled up a hat-trick of wins on the all-weather between February and April the daughter of Bungle Inthejungle got the ball rolling for both Millman and Curtis when prevailing by three-quarters of a length in the six-furlong contest.

Simon Brown, syndicate member, said: “We had another horse which was a bay filly but then Sally (Langridge) wanted a grey horse as the next one we owned so that is where the syndicate name came from.

“We got a grey filly called Greycious Girl but she wasn’t very good so we went back to having another bay!

On the successful three year old he added: “That was a good performance by Just A Spark. She got bumped about a bit last time at Salisbury and we were looking for a quieter race for her. We were really pleased with that display.”

Classic-winning owner Peter Savill might not possess the numbers he once had in training, however his long association with the Johnston family continued at Newmarket on Thursday after Empire Of Light secured victory at the second time of asking.

Having enjoyed many notable days with trainer Charlie Johnston’s father, and former trainer, Mark, highlighted by the 2001 and 2002 Ascot Gold Cup victories for Royal Rebel, the son of Kodiac handed Savill his first domestic Flat winner since 2019.

Racing front rank throughout the Black Type Accountancy EBF ‘Confined’ Restricted Novice Stakes the 4/1 chance showed a determined resolve to leave behind his debut fifth at Bath and get the better of Cheeky Blimey by a head under William Buick.

Johnston said: “Charlie said this morning that he was a better horse than the form of his first run suggested.

“He felt it was just too firm there for a big heavy horse like him. He has gone well from the beginning to the end.

“That rain they had this morning has probably helped him as it was the extreme of conditions last time.

“Peter has just the one horse with us but it is great to have another winner in these colours as they have been good to us over the years.”

Future plans for Empire Of Light remain undecided, however Johnston expects Savill, who was chairman of the then British Horseracing Board, a precursor to the British Horseracing Authority, between 1998 and 2004, to be involved in the decision making process.

Johnston added: “Peter is an owner who likes to get involved with horses once they have some form behind them as he is a great form student.

“He never interferes with the training but he likes to have an input in plans and help make campaigns for them.”

There was to be no second odds-on reversal in succession for the Charlie Appleby-trained Spring Dawn, who provided champion jockey Buick with his second winner on the card with a two-length success in the It’s Racing Staff Week Fillies’ Novice Stakes.

Alex Merriam, assistant trainer, said of the triumphant 5-6 Favourite: “She handled that ground well enough and William said it was just on the soft side of good.

“She had a couple of runs so she knew what she was doing and she had finished strongly in her last two races. She deserved to win one.”

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