Race-fit Angel too smart for Karats
Ben Curtis brought up a double on the day as he guided Mystery Angel to victory in the Listed Betfair Pretty Polly Stakes, lowering the colours of well-fancied Sea Karats who was second.
The 13/2 winner won twice during a six-race juvenile campaign and has been busy already this term too, having her third start of the year following outings at Wolverhampton and two at Saint-Cloud.
She came surging back to form with a commanding, length and three-quarter success having been prominent from the outset. Sea Karats ran well in second, with a promising effort from John and Thady Gosden's Taslima a further three and a quarter lengths back in third.
The big disappointment was Godolphin's 6/4 favourite A'Shaari, who pulled in the early stages and had nothing to give in the final couple of furlongs, finishing out of the places.
Owned by the Nick Bradley Racing syndicate – who afforded her the loudest cheer of the weekend – Mystery Angel also put her rookie trainer George Boughey in the spotlight, giving the Newmarket-based handler the biggest success of his career to date.
Bradley said: “I’m a bit lost for words, to be honest. When she ran here at the backend of last year she did that (won well) and then we kind of got it wrong.
“Today was on better ground and it was great to see her do that in front of all the owners here on such a big day as we’ve always felt she was a top-class filly.
“You’re only allowed six owners here, but there’s 20-odd owners in this horse. I bought her at the breeze-ups here for 22,000 guineas and drove the horsebox home with her in it. By the time I got home, I only owned four per cent of her!
“She’ll probably go for the Group One Prix Saint-Alary, or perhaps the Musidora at York. We’ll have a think. She isn’t in the Oaks. We thought 10 furlongs would be her maximum trip as she’s by a sprinter, but we might be wrong.”
Boughey said: “It was a shame not to win in France six weeks ago, but she’s a very tough filly who obviously loves it here at Newmarket.
“I actually worked her on the Summer Gallop about a week ago on what was very fast ground and she worked very well. She’s an improving filly who handled the soft and heavy ground last year, but her work had suggested she was actually going to be better on faster ground.
“She’s a filly with a pretty upward profile now. She’s in the Prix Saint-Alary, which she could go for, but the Musidora is another option.
“She’s not in the Oaks, but she’s putting a bit of prize-money in the pot now and it might be something we consider (supplementing). There’s a few nice decisions to make.
“She’s not bred to stay a mile, let alone a mile and a quarter. But the way she won there – galloping through the line – I certainly wouldn’t be against trying her over a mile and a half."
Jockey Ben Curtis said: “She’s done all of her racing on soft or heavy ground and that was her first real test on a quicker surface. She travelled like a dream on it and when I asked her to go and win her race she put it to bed in four strides, so I’m very happy with her.
“I see no reason why she wouldn’t get a bit further, she’s a strong traveller and saw that trip out well.”
William Haggas, trainer of runner-up Sea Karats, said: “She is still learning and is not there yet. She got a little bit lost in the dip. She is fine but whether she is good enough is a different thing. I like her a lot but she was not wise enough today. The winner has got bags of experience and she got the run of the race.
“We will see what we do now going forward. She definitely wants further and she will be going over a mile and a half next time. Tom (Marquand, jockey) said she was quite happy on that ground as she is a fluent mover.”
Thady Gosden, who trains third home Taslima alongside his father John, said: “We were very pleased with her and she ended up staying on well. She has now been placed in a Listed race which is important to her.
“We will probably step her up in trip to a mile and a half next time. I would imagine we will look at trying to get her head in front in a maiden before looking at something better again.”
14:25 Newmarket Full result and free video replay
1st Mystery Angel 13/2
2nd Sea Karats 5/2
3nd Taslima 12/1
Winning Trainer: George Boughey | Winning Jockey: Ben Curtis
Champion scores in head-bobbing finish
A tight, three-way finish to the Back And Lay On Betfair Exchange Handicap went the way of Zabeel Champion (9/4) for trainer Mark Johnston and jockey Ben Curtis.
The photo was required for the judge to split him, Charlie Appleby's Global Storm (7/4 favourite) and the long-time leader Grand Bazaar (7/2) representing Frankie Dettori and the training team of John and Thady Gosden.
Dettori dictated matters in the mile and a half contest, gradually lifting the tempo from halfway as hat-trick seeking Zabeel Champion and stablemate Sky Defender tracked the pace.
Grand Bazaar scampered for the line after taking the dip in his stride but Zabeel Champion was never far behind and he and Global Storm made a late lunge as the line loomed.
Curtis thrust his mount in front right on the line to bring up a quickfire treble for the horse, with Grand Bazaar having to settle for an unlikely third.
Winning trainer Johnston said of his winner, a Poet’s Voice colt: “Jaber (Abdullah, owner) has sometimes not been too happy that we have been stepping him up to a mile and a half.
“Coming out of the dip with half a furlong to go I thought he will be telling me I’ve got it wrong, but luckily he stayed on at the end and done it. It looked like he could get further today. It looked like he was beat a furlong out."
Asked if Zabeel Champion will now be in his handicap team for Royal Ascot, Johnston added: “I suppose he will be - it depends what the handicapper does to him. He is in the Hardwicke as well.
“He wasn’t entered at Ripon last Saturday until 11.50am (on preceding Monday April 19) and he wasn’t entered here until about one minute to 12pm (last Monday, April 26). If everyone else keeps failing to turn up though he will keep turning up."
Appleby said of runner-up Global Storm: “He’s come back and it was a good race. He’s run well and we keep knocking on the door – so hopefully it will open soon!"
Frankie Dettori said of third home, Grand Bazaar: “We ran a super race and just got beaten on the line."
13:50 Newmarket Full result and free video replay
1st Zabeel Champion 9/4
2nd Global Storm 7/4 favourite
Winning Trainer: Mark Johnston | Winning Jockey: Ben Curtis
Hannon horse defies top weight
River Alwen put up a fine performance under top weight to win the Better Odds On Betfair Exchange Handicap, the opening race on QIPCO 1000 Guineas day at Newmarket.
Jamie Spencer brought Richard Hannon's 5/1 shot with a late run to collar Western Symphony inside the final furlong, the Godolphin runner having looked to have slipped the field when picking up the running and heading for the far rail over two furlongs out.
After seemingly struggling to handle the dip, Spencer gave his mount time to regain his balance before switching to the outside close home and delivering him to score by a length with a little bit to spare.
The disappointment of the race was well-backed 9/4 favourite Kehailaan, who dropped out tamely after coming under pressure.
Spencer said: “He did well - he benefited from Newbury. He was a bit fresh there and he was dropped 2lbs for that, so it was a winnable race.
“I think 10 furlongs will be his trip. He’ll get more adaptable to middle distances as he goes along but 10 is fine for the time being – he’s a Dark Angel so not too many of them will be getting much further than that.
"He will progress, he needed it at Newbury and that was only two weeks ago, so I’d expect him to improve again. You know what it’s like here, when the leader gets a jump on you it’s hard to make up ground."
13:15 Newmarket Full result and free video replay
1st River Alwen 5/1
2nd Western Symphony 5/2
Winning Trainer: Richard Hannon | Winning Jockey: Jamie Spencer
Rest of the meeting...
Dig Two stepped up on his racecourse debut to open his account in the Betfair British EBF Maiden Stakes.
The Hugo Palmer-trained youngster was close to the pace set by My Dubawi in the closing stages and comfortably put the race to bed once set alight by James Doyle.
Dig Two (17/2), who was sixth at Windsor three weeks ago, bounded clear to score by two and three-quarter lengths from Secret Strength, the 11-8 favourite.
Doyle said: “I’m very pleased with him and I’m sure he will take a good step forward again.
“I’m not sure what Hugo’s plan is with him. Beforehand it didn’t look the strongest of events, but the time was good and he showed a willing attitude.”
Connections of Parachute could look to the Royal meeting following his determined success in the Betfair Weighed In Podcast Handicap.
Ed Walker said of his 3/1 winner: “He is a funny horse as he doesn’t do a stroke at home. I’ve been saying, tongue in cheek, to the owners (Highclere Thoroughbred Racing) that he reminds me of English King who was a lazy workhorse that perks up on the track and this guy seems the same.
“I’d love to go for the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot as I think that would be perfect for him. I don’t know whether we would go again or just freshen him up for Ascot. He is a progressive horse that has very solid form.”
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