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Mawj holds off Tahiyra to win QIPCO 1000 Guineas

Running Lion a Pretty picture for Gosdens and Murphy

The Listed Howden Pretty Polly Stakes was won in convincing fashion by the John and Thady Gosden-trained Running Lion (100/30) under Oisin Murphy.

A daughter of the top-class and ill-fated Roaring Lion, who had just the one crop at stud before passing away, she had won three times on the all-weather after finishing fifth on Newmarket's July Course last summer, and took the switch back to turf in her stride despite the testing conditions.

Travelling ominously well behind the leaders as the field entered the famous Rowley Mile dip, Running Lion silkily breezed to the front from Sumo Sam (15/2) and powered home to win by four and a half lengths, with a further three and three-quarters back to Trust The Stars (100/3) in third.

Murphy said on ITV Racing: "She was wonderful, the Gosden team did a great job in preparing her. I'm delighted. The owner will be absolutely delighted.

"Massive satisfaction, she worked here on the racecourse 10 days ago. She's quite like her father and has a great attitude. I think the mile and a quarter is her best distance but this is an Oaks trial and we'll see. As a type, she's strong and compact, not the typical staying type you'd expect for the Oaks."

Betfair Sportsbook go 6/1 (from 16/1) about Running Lion for the Betfred Oaks, with Sky Bet 7/1 from 25s.

John Gosden said: "We’re delighted with her. We brought her down here for a piece of work and Oisin said we should go for the Pretty Polly rather than the 1000 Guineas as she’ll need the mile and a quarter, so we’ve made the right decision.

"Roaring Lion was a wonderful horse with all the Group Ones that he won. He won the Dante in tremendous style, we went to the Derby, he was the last one off the bridle and didn’t see out the mile and a half, so it will be very interesting with this filly whether she’s more Prix de Diane or a mile-and-a-half Oaks filly. We’ll have to give that a bit of thought.

"Anything’s possible and you’ve got more trials to come. There’s the Musidora at York and the Newbury trial and the filly of Sir Michael Stoute’s who won here on Friday (Infinite Cosmos) looked very classy, so we’ll see how it shapes up."

He added: “The jockey’s first reaction was to possibly stay at a mile and a quarter and I’m always interested as to what they say when they come back straight away, not when they’ve had time to think.

“We made the mistake with Roaring Lion, who hit the line strongly in the Dante but didn’t see out the trip in the Derby, so we’ll give it a lot of thought. The idea would be to go to one of the Oaks, which one it is I don’t know. We won the Diane last year (with Nashwa) and it’s a wonderful race, you just don’t want a bad draw."

Owner David Howden added: “I’ve got about 20 horses in training but I bred this one as well which is really nice. It was amazing and it is so wonderful to see Running Lion win as she is such a special horse being by Roaring Lion who holds a special place in mine and David Redvers heart.

“To see her do that in a race, which is an important race as I won it a few years back with Run Wild, so it is a dream come true. To see Oisin do that today is as good as it gets. At the start she was just changing her lead and she didn’t like the sticky ground but then you suddenly see Oisin move her and she just cruised through and left them standing. I’m on a pretty big high at the moment.”

Oliver Cole, joint-trainer of Sumo Sam, said: "Sumo Sam ran great but she may be better over a longer trip. She's not in the Oaks so we may look at something else."

Kevin Stott, rider of runner-up Sumo Sam, added: “She’s run really well on what was only her second start. She was still a little green and will get further. She didn’t mind the ground at all and she looks a nice filly.”

Ralph Beckett, trainer of the third Trust The Stars, said: “She ran great. We’ll find another stakes race for her now."

Former Derby hero back to winning ways

Adayar made a smooth return to the fold in the bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes, rescheduled from last week's abandoned fixture at Sandown Park.

Receiving 5lb in weight from main market rival Anmaat, the Charlie Appleby-trained Derby winner from 2021 got straight back to winning ways under William Buick having last been seen finishing second to Bay Bridge in the Champion Stakes at Ascot in mid-October.

Appleby second-string Highland Avenue, the mount of James Doyle, took the five-runner field along in the early stages and he looked to pinch a couple of lengths off the 5/6 favourite with a furlong and a half to travel, but Buick - who had tracked the grey from the outset - was wise to the move and sent the sizeable five-year-old Adayar in pursuit.

He went past Highland Avenue without too much trouble and was kept up to his work in the closing stages to hold Anmaat (9/4) two and a half lengths at bay.

Sky Bet reacted by making Adayar 5/1 from 6s for the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot, and 16/1 from 33s for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Betfair and Paddy Power went 9/2 (from 7/1) for the Prince Of Wales's.

Appleby, confirmed the Royal meeting will be the plan, saying: “It’s tiring ground out there, he got tired and didn’t handle the dip, but good horses can overcome those negatives and still do what he’s done today.

“I’m very pleased to get him back on track, he’s had a nice experience out there today and he will definitely come forward for the run, so I’d imagine now it’s all systems go for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

“He and Hurricane Lane are two great racehorses and it’s great to get the pair of them back this week. We feel the mile and a half is going to be Hurricane Lane’s division this year and I’ve always wanted Adayar to try and win a Group One over a mile and a quarter as it will look very good on his CV.

“Better ground at Ascot would suit him for sure. They went a sensible gallop today, but I think in a Prince of Wales where he’ll get a good, strong gallop to run at it will suit him really well, and we know he loves Ascot.”

“It was a frustrating time having to sit through the summer with him last year. We saw some great racehorses, but we had a horse that we were very excited about in the spring miss three parts of the season. Hopefully we’ll make a bit of headway again this year."

Owen Burrows was happy with Anmaat in defeat.

He said: “It was a solid run. I thought we were up against it giving 5lb to Adayar and he’s run his race. He needed to get his season started so I thought it was a good solid run. He battled away and it’s tough out there, it’s hard work.

“It was his first run of the year and we were giving away 5lb, so it’s solid. He’s in the Tattersalls Gold Cup in around three weeks’ time and the Prix d’Ispahan in France, so we’ll see how he comes out of this.

“We might try him over a little bit further at some stage. I don’t know when, but we’ll see."

Sistina oozes class under Spencer

Via Sistina justified 5/2 favouritism and set herself up for a step up to Group One company in when coming home the impressive six-length winner of the Group Two Howden Dahlia Stakes.

Winning trainer George Boughey said: “She’s done very well in the winter and I don’t really know what to say, Jamie (Spencer, jockey) said he had them covered the whole way. The ground is key to her, she’s got a hell of a turn of foot in soft ground. Her work is good on decent ground but it’s a lot better on softer ground. It didn’t come as a huge surprise when the rain started to fall, we were pretty happy (to see it).

“When it’s soft she’s a very different horse. Jamie rode her the other morning on good ground and we were pleased with her, but we know that when the rain comes she quickens her stride. She’s not so free now and she’s able to relax and I think that’s what is going to allow her to get better and better.

“I think even the back end of last year we were talking about the Prix de l'Opéra on Arc day for her. That’s a realistic possibility as it’s been soft however many times on that day and we’ll work back from that. The Pretty Polly Stakes on Irish Derby Day is quite possibly the next step.

“She’s not short of pace, she’s pretty versatile as now she relaxes. She wasn’t stopping there either so I don’t really know what her trip is, but it opens up a few doors. The softer the better for her really, so when it started raining yesterday we were rather pleased!”

Roger Varian, trainer of second-placed Al Husn (8/1), said: “She ran well on her first try in a Group race company and we are very pleased with that. It is a nice start to her season. She will build on that.

“She copes with that surface but I think she will be better on better ground. I’m not sure where we go next but I would think we would look at races over 10 furlongs as opposed to the mile as she won over 10 last year. We will try and win a stakes race with her and she has got some nice black type today.

“She is a lovely filly that has a great pedigree. Her mum Hadaatha, we trained, and she won the John Musker (at Yarmouth) and was third in the Prix de l’Opera. She is a Dubawi filly with a nice future as a mare at the farm and hopefully we will win a nice stakes race with her this year. She is a good moving filly and has a good attitude just like mum.”

Pam Sly, trainer of the third Astral Beau (17/2) said: “That is Group Two black type so that is great. I actually turned religious for a few days and prayed for rain and it worked. Shane (Kelly, jockey) has just said to me she will go on good ground as well. Now she is that bit older I think she will handle decent ground that bit better.

“Shane said the winner came past us as if it was in a handicap. We are thrilled. We will stick to these Listed and Group races now and go from there. We will keep tipping away in these races as it is worth it when the day comes for her to be a broodmare.”

President toughs it out

The Howden Handicap over 1m6f ultimately went the way of Alan King's HMS President, who narrowly overhauled long-time leader Torcello in the closing stages to win the valuable prize in a bunched finish.

Torcello (14/1) had built up a sizeable lead under Joe Fanning with half a mile to travel and while the chasing group closed up approaching the furlong pole, it briefly looked like the veteran Fanning had timed it to a nicety on Shaun Lycett's nine-year-old.

However, Rossa Ryan got one final lunge from his charge and pushed 7/1 chance HMS President ahead in the final few strides, getting up by a neck from Torcello, who dead-heated with Adjuvant (15/2) for second. The fourth home was Geremia at 28/1, with Single next at 22/1.

King's assistant, Robin Smith, said of the Rossa Ryan-ridden winner: “I thought he got a bump early on and that lit him up and Rossa did a good job of managing him from then on.

“I thought if he could keep the horse on his outside (Adjuvant) behind him he’d keep finding and these big fields probably suit him as they go a gallop and come back to him if they go hard in front, like they did today.

“He’s a very talented horse and we’re very pleased to have him. The plan for some time has been to come here today and we’ll see where we go from here.”

More joy for Appleby and Buick

Appleby and Buick brought up a double following the earlier success of Adayar when On Point (8/11 favourite) came out on top by a head in the three-runner Howden British EBF Maiden Stakes over five furlongs

Appleby said of the two year old Blue Point colt: “He’s been an honest little horse and a straightforward horse. He’s been very professional and we know the family (son of Blue Point and Devonshire) on both sides so we were very keen to have a Blue Point winner.

“It’s fantastic and what you love to see is that he’s shown all the characteristics that his dad showed as a two year old, with showing up early and having natural speed. He was a bit fresh in the paddock when saddling beforehand, but you don’t mind that. You’d rather them get a feel for it all before the jockey gets on.

“As William (Buick) said, it’s hard to really assess as it was a bit of a two and a half furlong burn up, but he’s done it and knuckled down and we’ll hopefully get another run into him before we start making Ascot assessments. I’d say we’ll probably take a look (at the National Stakes, Sandown Park) - I’m always keen to try and get two runs in before Ascot.

“It’s a big day and a big occasion and sometimes you can lose a horse there (if you have only had one run previously). It takes a while to get them back and at least if they’ve cut their teeth a couple of times they’ve a bit better understanding of it all.”

King crowned on Coronation weekend

Buick went on to record a treble when Saxon King (5/1) came out on top in the mile Howden Handicap. The Charlie Hills-trained three year old took the contest by a length and a half from Dark Thirty (12/1).

Philip Freedman, joint owner of Saxon King, said: “It was quite like how he won at Haydock Park last year when it looked like he was going to get swallowed up half a furlong on and he kept on battling and that is what he has done today. He won heavy ground last year and won on softish ground today.

“In a perfect world you would love to run him in the Britannia at Royal Ascot but I think if we got a nice soft ground handicap between now and then it would be stupid not to run him between now and then.

“There is the Silver Bowl back at Haydock Park, which he could go for as you always have half a chance of getting soft ground there. I think Haydock would be the plan if the ground is right. He was due to run at Sandown Park last week and that had been the plan all winter so it was disappointing when that was off.

“I thought the problem today would be the two or three that had run already and I thought they might have an edge on fitness, but Charlie’s horses have been running well.”

Royal Rhyme back on track in finale

The 2023 QIPCO Guineas Festival came to a conclusion with the 10-furlong Howden Handicap which saw an impressive success for the Karl Burke-trained Royal Rhyme (4/1) who scored by five lengths under Clifford Lee.

Lee said: “When I rode him at Kempton Park, early doors all he did was gallop away. The extra couple of furlongs though has done him justice. He travels well through that sort of ground and he has done it nicely now.

“I feel like he will get a bit further as he is a very strong travelling horse. He could have done with a bit more cover but he takes you to the two pole very easily.

"He has done it quite easily today. We always knew he wanted a mile and a quarter and it was just a case of finding the right races. He wants to relax a bit more as he is a very strong going horse, but I think he will get further.”

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