Newbury Saturday review, reaction and free video replays
Grand birthday win for Doyle
James Doyle celebrated his birthday in style as Grand Alliance (18/1) won the opening Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes.
Charlie Fellowes' charge looked set for a straightforward success when quickening clear passing the two furlong marker but the son of Churchill drifted markedly to his left under pressure.
It allowed Farhan (40/1) and course specialist Max Vega to close again but the winner was still two-and-a-quarter lengths to the good at the line.
Mojo Star, who Kevin Stott dismounted after the race, was fourth but 2021 St Leger winner Hurricane Lane folded tamely and finished last of seven.
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Betfair and Paddy Power both halved Grand Alliance in price to 10/1 for the Yorkshire Cup at York next month.
Fellowes: “He has done that to a pretty decent field. I know that two outsiders finished first and second, but they were a good bunch and he has done it pretty handily in the end. I don’t think he was doing a huge amount out in front. I know he has a Yorkshire Cup entry, but James said afterwards he wouldn’t be jumping to step up further in trip, so I think I need to have a sit down and talk to the owner (Paul Roy) and make a plan.
“He was on and off the bridle, but that’s him. He has got a lot better than he was last year. He was particularly quirky last year and he’s settled down a lot. I’ve been delighted with him over the winter and, walking around the paddock, I thought he’d done really well physically. I don’t know why watching him go round with a saddle on made me see how well he had done, but he looked fantastic. I think he goes on any ground. It was rattling quick when he threw that race away at Ascot.”
Doyle added: “He was on and off the bridle, but that is always what he has done. He has always hinted he has been pretty good. Arguably he should have won at Royal Ascot last year, but he just hung across the track. He is very versatile ground-wise, it is amazing when you look at him – as he’s got such small feet – that he does go on this type of heavy ground.
“He does go on fast ground, so hopefully we can have a bit of fun with him. On better ground he could possibly go up to a Yorkshire Cup trip, but on testing ground like it is today, I think this trip is about right. It felt like a long last furlong.”
Rest of the action
Ralph Beckett will consider his options before making any firm plans for Newbury’s BetGoodwin Spring Cup winner Jimi Hendrix, who stayed on well to take the valuable mile handicap under Rossa Ryan.
Things did not go according to plan when fancied for the Lincoln, where he had finished a disappointing 13th of 22. The winning rider felt the fitting of blinkers helped his cause as he powered to a three-and-a-half-length victory over Lattam.
“He is just a bit claustrophobic, hence putting the blinkers on and hence me coming across on my own. It has done the trick, really,” said Ryan. “He has beaten an Irish Lincoln winner pulling up and he took a lot of pulling up, so I wouldn’t fear going up in trip again with him. He has not hit his ceiling and you’d like to think there’d be more to come.”
Beckett, who was recording a double, having taken the Fred Darling with Remarquee, added: “I think he likes this ground to degree. But he’s won on fast ground at the July meeting, so I don’t think it is that important to him. But the blinkers today and a bit of space on the wing has really made the difference. I’m not sure where we go. The Royal Hunt Cup maybe, with something in between, we’ll have to go away and work it out.”
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Newbury maidens at this time of year are invariably informative, although Eve Johnson Houghton was as surprised as anyone when Golspie (12/1) landed the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Maiden by a length and a half in the hands of Charlie Bishop.
“Slightly unexpected,” said Johnson Houghton. “I thought he would get very tired in the ground. My other horse got very tired on the ground. “Actually, he quite enjoyed it I think, but he possibly wants further, so it was a lovely surprise. We were going to go for a maiden next time! He wasn’t very well when we first bought him so gave him loads of time and we were never really going to run him as a two-year-old, and he is still weak, but he’s going to be a nice horse with a bit of luck.”
Klondike (7/2), a son of Galileo, who cost 600,000 guineas as a yearling, is bred to be a nice horse. He overcame abundant greenness under Tom Marquand to take the Too Darn Hot Darley Maiden Stakes by a head for trainer William Haggas.
After his polished and patient ride, where he taught the three-year-old plenty, coming from off the pace to score, Marquand said: “It was a proper William-style run. It is probably as much as you want to see. William likes them to be ridden like that “It’s lovely to see a horse like that go and drop down that last half furlong, and actually go and win a race like that.
“You teach them. That is the whole point of their first and early runs, to teach them what their job. We want them all to win, but sometimes emptying the tank isn’t the way they learn the most. I gave him a flick a furlong and a half out to get him to straighten up and another flick with half a furlong to go. He’s a lovely horse and stays well, and hopefully has a pretty exciting future.”
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