Review of the action from Saturday's meeting at Newmarket
A review of the action from Saturday's meeting at Newmarket where Norway landed the Zetland Stakes.
Norway was seemingly the lesser fancied of the Aidan O'Brien runners in the Godolphin Flying Start Zetland Stakes but ran out a decisive winner of the Listed contest.
He was produced down the centre of the track by Seamie Heffernan to hit the front inside the final furlong and beat I'll Have Another (12/1) by a length.
Sydney Opera House, a stablemate of the winner, was sent off the 11/8 favourite but was short of room behind the leaders and could never land a telling blow.
The winning trainer said: “He's a very well bred horse, he's a full brother to Derby winner Ruler Of The World, and he's going to be a lovely middle distance horse for next season.
“It got a bit messy, the pace was a bit messy, and this horse stays very well so he's done well to win. He's a lovely big horse, he's well balanced, and he's got the experience now so he doesn't have to go anywhere else this season.”
Norway given a 25/1 quote by Sky Bet for the Investec Derby. Racing PR Manager Michael Shinners said: "He is bred to be a Derby colt and the way he raced suggests he's going to come into his own over middle-distances next season."
Norway shows stamina to win the Godolphin Flying Start Zetland Stakes for Aidan O'Brien - watch live on @ITV pic.twitter.com/kTuWmNf3TN
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) October 13, 2018
Mark Johnston is likely to give I’ll Have Another a Classic preparation next season after she finished second to Norway.
The trainer said: “I’m very happy with her, but we were just a bit surprised she has shown so much stamina. You’d have to think she was an Oaks Trial-type filly for next year on the strength of that. That will probably be the end for this year and she has done us proud.
“The obvious thing that immediately springs to mind for next season is the Cheshire Oaks, but the owners don’t like having runners at Chester, so that scuppers that. So, we’ll look at the Pretty Polly or the Lingfield Oaks Trial, something like that next season.”
Nate The Great was a further length down in third under Edward Greatrex. His trainer, Archie Watson, may head to France with the son of Nathaniel before the end of the season.
He said: “He is in the ten-furlong Group One Critérium de Saint-Cloud, along with twenty of Aidan’s (O’Brien), and if the ground stays good, which I think is important for him, we will go there. If he runs a race he will have every chance of taking a Group One.
“Next year he will be a mile and four-furlong horse and I wouldn’t put it past him, despite his pedigree, to be staying a mile and six, so we will have plenty of options. After France, we will put him away and bring him back in one of the mile-two or mile-four stakes races.
“You’d have to hope that he would be a horse for a race like the King Edward VII at Royal Ascot or perhaps the Tercentenary, or something like that. We’ll run in a trial before that and see where it takes us.”
Double delight for Dewhurst pair
Having earlier combined to land the Dewhurst Stakes with Too Darn Hot, John Gosden and Frankie Dettori completed doubles after Perfection (3-1 joint-favourite) claimed the Listed Dubai Life British EBF Boadicea Stakes.
Runner-up at the track last Saturday, the Dutch Art filly went one better with a neck verdict over Classical Times.
The Newmarket handler said: "We were giving a lot of weight away last time and I wouldn't normally run them twice in a week. We ran her in the Sandringham at Royal Ascot and we thought we had that sewn up. It took the trainer a long time to work out the trip.
"She will not run again this season and I'm not sure if she will stay in training or go to stud."
Newmarket first for Dalgleish
Scottish trainer Keith Dalgleish claimed his first winner at the track after Caballero (4-1) struck gold under Joe Fanning in the #Mydubai Nursery.
Fanning said: "He is a nice horse. Keith said he would go well and he is never far wrong.
"I would like to think he would make a three-year-old as he is a nice, big horse. The ground was a big part of it today."
Euginio lunged late to claim top honours in the concluding Group Three Darley Stakes in the hands of Hayley Turner.
The admirable Forest Ranger battled his way to the lead inside the last of nine furlongs, but Richard Hannon's 13-2 shot Euginio enjoyed a dream run up the rail and got up to score by a neck.
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