Good Earth poses with connections at Sandown

Sky Bet Sunday Series review: Sandown finale reports and reaction

By Graham Clark

Horse Racing

Mon August 21, 2023 · 2y ago

Michael Herrington hailed Good Earth as a "legend" of a horse after providing the triumphant trainer with a big day at one of his favourite tracks in the Sky Bet Sunday Series Sprint Handicap at Sandown.

Picked up privately out of Jamie Osborne’s yard for £7,500 the gelded son of Acclamation continued to demonstrate he was money well spent when landing his third success of the season, and second in the Sky Bet Sunday Series, in the five-furlong contest.

Making a flying start from the gates the six year old, who contested the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood last time out, was not for passing under rising star of the weighing room Connor Planas with pair doing just enough to hold off the late challenge of 9/4 favourite Lil Guff by a short-head

Herrington said of the 8/1 winner: “He ran at Goodwood on unraceable ground in the Stewards’ Cup and they called the meeting off after that and Yarmouth was on the dead side and today was more on the ground that he likes.

“We know he jumps the stalls well, but we weren’t expecting him to jump that well. We half expected to take a lead of Tom Marquand’s horse (Get It) and sit maybe fifth or sixth and come with a run and see how far we have got.

“It is a massive day and Sandown is one of my favourite tracks. It is one of the nicest tracks in the world. I gave seven and a half thousand for him and he was running in sellers and claimers.

“He is a legend and he is a nice genuine horse.”

While Herrington has entered Good Earth, who he part owns, in the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup, he admits that an outing in the Betfred Portland (Handicap) at Doncaster on September 16 might be a more suitable target.

He added: “I’ve put him in the Ayr Gold Cup, but it depends on the ground and if it soft that would be a bit stiff. There is a race at York on Saturday but that might come too soon.

“The Portland would be a race for him and he only just missed getting in last year, but that would be a race for him.”

Simcock ends Sandown drought

David Simcock ended his nine-year wait for a Sandown winner after Traila showed an abundance of stamina to get up close home in the Sky Bet Sunday Series Stayers’ Handicap to move a step closer to an outing in the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch.

The Esher track has not been a happy hunting ground for the Newmarket handler in recent seasons, however after several near misses he finally saw his fortunes change thanks to the gelded son of Australia in the concluding one mile and six furlongs contest.

Victory looked to be heading the way of long-time leader Dark Island, but after making up rapid ground late on the 9-1 chance manage to get up almost on the line to score by nose and give Simcock his first Sandown Park winner in 3,303 days.

Simcock said: “We knew he stays well and he really wants two miles. Nothing really went to plan. We were supposed to jump and sit prominently and that never happened so we had to go to Plan B.

“I’ve got an absolutely awful record here. When Cash got beaten a short head in the Classic Trial here last year I knew things weren’t going to change, but that puts it right.

“He (Traila) has got an inconsistent profile, but that is partly our fault as he has taken a bit of working out. We have run him on the wrong ground, and run him back too quick, but now we know him I think he will be progressive. He will make into a nice horse.”

Looking ahead Simcock intends to give Traila at least one more outing to ensure he gets into the prestigious two and a quarter mile handicap at Newmarket on October 14.

Simcock added: “He will have to go up a few pounds to get in the Cesarewitch, but there is the trial there and we will have a look at that, as long as it is on top of the ground.

“He will get four pounds for that I imagine which will take him to 91 and if he could win again before then that would get him in. He wants top of the ground and it is a race we have in mind as he stays very well.”

Tribes strikes for Spencer

Richard Spencer was rewarded for taking on board the advice he was offered by Group One winning jockey Neil Callan after Two Tribes (7/1) opened his account at the fourth time of asking in the opening Sky Bet Sunday Series Nursery.

Having finished second over course and distance on his previous start the son of Rajasinghe went one better in the first-time blinkers in the five-furlong dash when holding off Call Glory by three-quarters of a length.

Spencer said: “It was a shame that he couldn’t run in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot as he got withdrawn at the start, but we thought he would have out run his odds that day.

“Neil Callan rode him the last day and said if he had the blinkers on he thought he could have won that day. We changed the cheekpieces for the blinkers and he has got the job done.

“We have always liked him, but we will just go through the handicap ranks and see how far he goes.”

Two Tribes pictured after winning at Sandown

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There might be no big race entries by the side of Royal Supremacy (6/1) at the moment but that could all change in the near future after he made his debut a triumphant one in the Race To A Cure For MND Newcomers’ Maiden Stakes.

The Make Believe colt showed a tenacious attitude under three time champion jockey Oisin Murphy in the seven-furlong event to edge out Colorada Dancer by a nose with Rascal Recknell three-quarters of a length away back in third.

Balding said: “Oisin was very impressed with him as he didn’t have a great trip around. He was a bit babyish when he came off the bridle but I was very happy with him.

“I was confident he had got the photo finish as I thought his head was down when it needed to be. He is a nice horse and he will probably stay a bit further. He should have a good autumn.

“You never know what you are taking on, but we were pretty hopeful today. He hasn’t got any big entries next to his name but there are plenty of nice races in the autumn which haven’t closed yet.”

Taylor Fisher continued to demonstrate he is a rider going places when celebrating his first winner at the Esher with a facile front running success aboard Graignes (11/2) in the Sky Bet Sunday Series Middle Distance Apprentice Handicap.

The 18-year-old made it winner 29 in 2023 aboard the George Baker-trained Zoffany gelding, who followed up his last time out success at Kempton Park by two and three-quarter lengths in the mile and a quarter prize.

Fisher said: “I thought we were going to go a real good gallop, but we haven’t and I’ve been able to control it. It was easy in the end.

“The plan was to make the running. He can be a bit slow away, but he wasn’t today and we took advantage of that and won from there. I’ve just gone down to three pounds now and that was my 51st winner. It has been getting going nicely and I’m getting a rhythm going.”

Henry Spiller will consider Listed race options for Marinara who provided apprentice jockey Kaiya Fraser with one of the most valuable victories of his career when displaying a determined attitude in the Sky Bet Sunday Series Fillies’ Handicap.

After getting off the mark at Yarmouth on her most recent start 32 days ago the daughter of U S Navy Flag added to that success when taking a step up to nine furlongs in her stride to pocket the £30,000 contest under five pound claimer Fraser.

Dictating matters from the outset the 7/2 chance, who scored over seven furlongs last time out, found plenty under pressure out in front to repel Tango Tonight by half a length.

Spiller said: “We’ve always felt she wants further than she has been running but she just hasn’t settled in her races. She has learnt to settle in her races and Kaiya has built up a good relationship with her.

“She is so tough and genuine she is an absolute pleasure to deal with. She is only a shell and she will keep improving and go through the grades a bit.

“We will possibly have a tilt at a Listed race as she will be close to 90 after that. It would be competitive in a Listed race, but she has got a good pedigree.

“She is not ground dependant and her style of racing, where she bowls along in front, would probably suit a race in France.”

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