Snow storms to Falmouth glory
Snow Lantern came out on top in a breathtaking finish to the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes.
At the furlong pole Coroantion Stakes heroine Alcohol Free and QIPCO 1000 Guineas winner Mother Earth were duelling for supremacy up front - but the chasing pack were trying to close.
It was the winner, who's dam Sky Lantern finished second in this race, who got to them - and decisively - hitting the line hard to score by half-a-length.
Mother Earth got the better of the duel to take second but in behind Lady Bowthorpe in fourth and fifth home Premio Baco were flying late after meeting with trouble in running.
An emotional Hannon said: “It’s so lovely for the breeders. There was a score to settle today in terms of her mother. She came here, Sky Lantern, and was run out of it late on by a good filly, Elusive Katie. It didn’t go her way. Today there was none of that. I’m delighted for them. She was a bit unlucky at Ascot. She’s a very special filly.”
Levey said: “She’s learnt with every run. It’s a pity going back that she probably should have run in the Guineas, but she showed in York she was immature and she had a bit to learn. It’s taken her a couple of steps to get to this point and it’s thanks to everyone in the yard. They have done a massive job. She’s not the easiest, so it’s great for everyone it’s all come to fruition now.
“She’s known to be keen, so my hands were tied as far as tactically what I could do with her. She came out of the gates fairly relaxed. As soon as they came over to that rail I knew I had to hold position when I was trying to settle her. I did think it would be very hard to get out of there. Lucky enough I was able to switch her round just in time to pick them up.”
“It means a massive amount. I’ve had Billesdon Brook, who was great, and King Of Change as well, but a lot of work has gone into this filly. In the yard she comes with a huge thing because Sky Lantern was her mother. For everyone it’s a big deal.”
15:35 Newmarket Full result and FREE video replay
1 13 Snow Lantern 6/1
2 9 Mother Earth (IRE) 5/1
3 6 Alcohol Free (IRE) 5/2 f
4 3 Lady Bowthorpe 11/1
Winning Trainer: R Hannon. Winning Jockey: S M Levey
Sandrine sizzles for in Duchess Of Cambridge
Albany Stake heroine Sandrine added the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes (Sponsored By bet365) to her CV with a fluent display.
Racing in the group down the far side of the track, Andrew Balding's charge was produced to sweep past old rival and Royal Ascot runner-up Hello You at the furlong pole.
The race was over from there despite the late flourish of Desert Dreamer who came through for second but was still a length-and-three-quarters adrift at the line.
The winner was stretching her unbeaten record to three and was introduced at 16/1 for next year's QIPCO 1000 Guineas by Betfair and Paddy Power.
“She had to prove herself on quick ground and she has done that today,” winning rider David Probert told ITV Racing. “She got into a great rhythm throughout the race and when the pace quickened before the two she stepped up another gear under pressure on the rising ground. She’s very talented and I’m very lucky to ride a filly of her calibre.”
Asked about her prospects beyond six furlongs, Probert said: “I always felt the last time at Ascot she had the stamina to go further. She’s got a great temperament and took a good bit of pulling up there, so I dont see why she couldn’t step up.”
Owner-breeder Kirsten Rausing said: “It (the family) goes back about six generations since I bought her ancestress as a yearling and we also stand this filly’s sire Bobby’s Kitten, whose first Group winner she is.
“I’m delighted for his sake and for that of my team at home and of course Andrew Balding, David Probert and the entire team at Kingsclere who have done so well.
“I was obviously delighted and thrilled. I think she did it very convincingly. She had it won a while before she passed the line. I think she has proved at present she is the best two-year-old filly in England and Ireland.”
She added: “She’s independent of going like her sire was and he was a turf performer in America. He also won on heavy ground at Cork on his only European appearance.”
14:25 Newmarket Full result and free video replay
1 8 Sandrine 11/5 f
2 1 Desert Dreamer 11/2
3 4Hello You (IRE) 9/4
Winning Trainer: A M Balding. Winning Jockey: David Probert
Appleby thinks big with Truth
Charlie Appleby has some big-race targets in mind for Noble Truth after he got off the mark with an impressive display at Newmarket.
A promising third behind Thursday’s July Stakes winner Lusail on his racecourse debut three weeks ago, the Kingman colt was the 5/2 favourite to open his account in the in the Weatherbys Bloodstock Pro British EBF Maiden.
Having travelled smoothly in midfield for much of the seven-furlong contest, James Doyle’s mount picked up smartly in the closing stage to score by two lengths from Ehraz.
Appleby said: “That performance from Lusail yesterday gave us more confidence coming here today, not that we needed too much as we’d sort of seen it at home anyway.
“On his first run he was a bit free. He was a lot better today and travelled very well throughout the race – and when he hit the rising ground, he hit the line strong.
“We haven’t got any immediate plans with him as he has been quite head-strong, so we’re taking it race by race and just seeing which way he’s going to go.
“I think the Vintage (at Goodwood) will probably come too soon for him, but we could work back from something like the Champagne Stakes (at Doncaster). That gives him a bit of time to do all the right things, hopefully.
“I think he’ll step up to a mile in time – whether he’ll be a Vertem Futurity Trophy type horse, we’ll see. He’s a nice, scopey horse who hopefully has a nice future as a three-year-old.”
13:15 Newmarket Full Result and free video replay
1 7 Noble Truth (FR) 5/2 f
2 6 Ehraz 7/1
3 3 Altraif 5/1
Winning Trainer: C Appleby. Winning Jockey: James Doyle
Doyle at the double
Doyle completed a quick double when the 11/2 chance Dubai Honour gave trainer William Haggas plenty to smile about by winning the ten-furlong bet365 Heritage Handicap.
The three-year-old Pride Of Dubai gelding prevailed after a sustained duel with Foxes Tales in the final furlong, scoring by a head. Afterwards Haggas was keen to pay tribute to Laura Collett, who will represent Team GB in eventing at the Tokyo Olympics later this month and who has worked with the colt.
Haggas said: “I’m thrilled with that. I thought it might be a bit quick just 22 days after Ascot with that being his first race of the year but he won the Britannia on his side (of the track), so he’s clearly not a bad horse and he’s improving all the time.
“I’d like to thank Laura Collett, who’s about to represent Great Britain in the Olympics. She took this horse on for about two months in the winter because we lost him mentally.
“We sent him up there and she brought him back a different horse, so although I get all of the glory she did a lot of the work to get him back for us and I’d like to thank her publicly. Goodwood looks the obvious option but we’ll see as the handicapper might put him up for that.”
13:50 Newmarket Full Result and free video replay
1 4 Dubai Honour (IRE) 11/2
2 1 Foxes Tales (IRE) 7/2
3 9 King Of Clubs 7/2
Winning Trainer: W J Haggas. Winning Jockey: James Doyle
Dream win for bin Suroor
Live Your Dream led home a Godolphin one-two in the £75,000 bet365 Trophy.
Appleby’s Global Storm battled his way to the lead late on, but was was unable to resist the late surge of the Saeed bin Suroor-trained 7-2 favourite Live Your Dream, who came from last to first under champion jockey Oisin Murphy.
Bin Suroor said: “He has always been good. He was weak last year, but this year he has improved physically and with the trip.
“There are two races for him – maybe we’ll take him to Newbury for the Geoffrey Freer, or maybe the Ebor (at York). It is between those two races.
“He’ll be a nice one for the future in staying races and he can handle any ground.”
Murphy doubled up aboard George Baker’s La Maquina in the Cash Out At bet365 Handicap, with the 6-1 shot edging out 4-1 favourite Aquaman by a short head.
“We could go to Bahrain. He was bouncing off this quick ground, so he could easily be one for over there, particularly this new 85-100 series,” said Baker.
“We’ll probably go to Goodwood next and then possibly Bahrain. We’ve put a few of our eggs into the basket over there and I’m excited by it.”
15:00 Newmarket Full Result and FREE video replay
1 11 Live Your Dream (IRE) 7/2 f
2 6 Global Storm (IRE) 11/2
3 7 Amtiyaz 12/1
4 8 Arthurian Fable (IRE) 7/1
Winning Trainer: S bin Suroor. Winning Jockey: Oisin Murphy
Favourite delivers in finale
Twilight Calls justified 5/2 favouritism in the concluding Moet & Chandon Handicap, with his rider David Probert also enjoying a second winner on the card following the earlier success of Sandrine in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes.
Winning trainer Henry Candy said: “I was being a bit obstinate by not dropping back to five furlongs, but I had to accept the inevitable in the end.
“He’s got so much speed – he’s a lovely horse who is very, very quick and is the spitting image of his dad (Twilight Son).
“I haven’t thought about where we’ll go from here. We’ll stick in handicaps for the moment, but hopefully with a bit more time on his back he might be able to go a bit higher.”
