Newmarket Saturday reports, reaction and free video replay

Raider lasts out in Palace House

Night Raider showed his customary blistering speed to win the HKJC World Pool Palace House Stakes.

Last season Karl Burke’s charge had a tendency not to see his races out, failing to get his head in front where it mattered as a result.

But after a winter gelding operation, he was a different proposition here under James Doyle, racing into a clear lead approaching the final furlong.

7/2 favourite Rumstar did begin to close him down after meeting the rising ground inside the distance but Night Raider had the reserves this time to hold on by half-a-length.

Shagraan (13/2) was back in third, a further two-and-a-half lengths adrift.

Sky Bet and Paddy Power cut the winner to 16/1 from 40s for the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Burke said: “He is a high class horse and we always knew that he had a huge engine. It has been well documented that he won his first two races over seven furlongs on the all-weather. We then tried to turn him into a miler and ran him in the Guineas.

"He was just too keen, too free and too fractious. Gelding has really made a man of him and brought him on in a perverse sort of way. He is ten kilograms lighter than he was last year. He looked tremendous I thought in the paddock. Somebody asked me before the race would he handle the undulations and you would have to say that was an issue, but I said if he jumps we will know after a furlong his fate. If he jumps quick and gets in a lovely rhythm he will handle the undulations well, and he did.

"He was a bit fractious in the stalls last year as a full horse and I think gelding has calmed him down a bit and made a man of him. He has been working really nicely, but he does a lot of his work on his own to be fair. He is the type of horse that you don’t need to buzz him up and work him with other horses. That is a great result.

“Richard Brown from Wathnan will be delighted as he has had huge faith in him. I would say he will go to Royal Ascot now. He is in the race at York, but I would say that would come too quick, but I think he will stay six furlongs. I wouldn’t have thought we will turn him around that quick, but we will see. It might be that the five furlong race is easier than the six at Ascot.”

Jonathan Portman said of Rumstar: "He has run every bit as well as when he won it. It was probably a shame he had to come over the near side as he had a good spot on the far side, but he has run a blinder. I’m very proud and pleased with him. It is lovely to see him back. He loves this track for some reason. He loves a stiff five furlongs.

"An easy five furlongs is a bit sharp for him and six furlongs is not quite ideal. We will have a look at Royal Ascot and just see what happens. There are very few options and the owners don’t really like travelling all over the world, so that limits him a bit. I’m very proud of the horse, and he is lovely to have, and we are lucky to have him. It was a great run just gutted not to win it, but that is the way it is.”

Clive Cox was pleased with Shagraan too, saying: “It was a great seasonal debut. I’m really happy and the winner was mighty impressive with the fractions he set. I think a slightly stiffer five will be something that we will be looking forward to going over again.

"He has shown form on those tracks in the past and I’m pleased with that run. We won this with Profitable and I would like to think we would be contesting the top sprints. He is a course winner at Ascot already and we would hopefully look forward to that and he has the luxury that he goes on pretty much any ground. I would hope, as it is his first run of the season, that we can build on it.”

Rush continues his rise

Double Rush once again looked a potential Group race winner in waiting after making it two wins from as many starts at the Rowley Mile this season with a taking success in the Betfred Handicap.

After brushing his rivals aside with consummate ease on his debut for Andrew Balding over course and distance 17 days ago the son of Blue Point had little trouble in adding to that success in the £100,000 six furlong prize.

Having sat just in behind the early pace, which was cut out by Apollo One, the 4-6 favourite, who was technically eight pounds well in, moved effortlessly into the lead under Shane Foley inside the final quarter of a mile before striking for home.

Although Addison Grey attempted to go with the Forz Europe Ltd-owned colt he simply had no answer with Double Rush passing the post with two-and-a-quarter lengths in hand.

The trainer said said: “He is a very strong travelling horse with a lot of class and he has won well. In fairness Charlie Hills had a little misfortune with him last year. He started really well and he had a couple of runs that didn’t go to plan.

“He said, when he came to me, that he really rated the horse and thought he was good, and he was right. He is a high class horse, and it was smooth. I enjoyed that. It was always the plan to come back here as this race was an early closer and we were well in.

"It is an important meeting for the team to have winners at and the team were keen to do it. The field cut up a fair bit, but I’m thrilled with the way he did it.

Last year the William Haggas-trained More Thunder bagged both races before taking aim at the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot.

And while Balding stressed that might be an option for Double Rush, who also holds an entry in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at the Royal meeting, he admitted that he could equally step him out of handicap company on his next start.

Balding said: “We could quite possibly look at a Group race next. He will probably have a Wokingham entry depending on what happens on Tuesday.”

Bermuda edges Chaloner thriller

Flora Of Bermuda (7/2) edged out Rosy Affair (11/2) after a sustained duel for the opening Oddschecker Ellen Chaloner Stakes to initiate a double for the Kingsclere team.

The pair were always towards the fore and locked in battle throughout the final furlong.

It came down to the nod and when the judge assessed the photographic evidence, it was Balding’s charge who had hit the line first by a head under James Doyle.

It was a length-and-three-quarters back to 11/4 favourite Sayidah Dariyan in third.

The winning trainer said: "She is so versatile in terms of ground and she deserved to get her head in front again. That tees us up nicely for the rest of the year. I did think the runner up had stolen it from the front, but it was a brilliant ride from James (Doyle) and he timed it just right. I hope she will improve throughout the year.

“She has got to keep having a go at those Group One races and hopefully one day she will get some luck in one. I think we will be going to Royal Ascot with her. That is the brief for the Wathnan Racing-owned horses so we will tee her up for that.”

Kent joy as Erindjan strikes

T J Kent celebrated one of the most valuable winners of his career to date after Erzindjan stayed on best of them all to land the Betfred Suffolk Stakes.

The Lope De Vega gelding had shown his liking for the Rowley Mile last year when flashing home to finish fourth in the Cambridgeshire before signing off with an eighth upped to Listed company at the same track in the James Seymour Stakes.

Looking more at home back in handicap company on his return to action, the eight-year-old gelding warmed to the task well in the nine furlong test under Ray Dawson before collaring Fifth Column close to the post and scoring by half-a-length.

Kent, who moved into his latest base in Newmarket at Heyward Place over the winter said: “He had two very good runs last year, one in the Cambridgeshire and one in the John Smith’s Cup. I’m a lover of York so I like to go there if I can.

“His form had been outstanding, not just with me, but with his former trainer in Dubai, and we thought if he ran up to that level he would have a live chance.

“We have had a winner in the Shergar Cup as well, and we have had other decent animals. If we get sent nicer animals we are proving we can do the job.

“It is nice and hopefully we are going in the right direction. I will speak to his owner and we will take things from there.”

Daiquiri gets on top

Daiquiri Bay set up a return trip to Royal Ascot after toughing out victory on his return to action in the Boodles Handicap.

After finishing third in the Old Rowley Cup at the track on his final start in October the son of New Bay, who was making his first start since being gelded, went two places better under Rossa Ryan in the mile and a half contest.

In a race that few got into, the 16-5 chance, who finished eighth in the King George V Stakes at the Royal meeting last year, showed his staying power when wearing down 2-1 favourite Gamrai before prevailing by a length.

King said: “I think we got away with the ground as he wouldn’t want to keep going on, but I’m delighted. He has improved for being gelded mentally since last year.

“He was just getting a bit boisterous at the end of last season so after his last run we cut him and put him away. I imagine the next stop will be Royal Ascot.

“Rossa said keep both the Duke of Edinburgh and Copper Horse as options for him and we will see closer to the time which one we go for.

“I think we would go straight there as it is only six weeks until the Royal meeting, but that was great.”

More from Sporting Life

• Free bets
• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.