Sandown Saturday
THE Group 3 Solario Stakes has been won by Kingman, Too Darn Hot and Masar in the last decade, and is proving a reliable source of future Group 1 winners.
That will be a comfort to Charlie Appleby, who has endured a wretched time at the top level this summer despite a steady stream of winners at the bread-and-butter fixtures.
Aablan (James Doyle) represented Appleby in the latest renewal of the Solario, having won on debut at Newmarket last month, and having been backed heavily into 7/4 favourite, the son of Dubawi gained a welcome pattern success for the Moulton Paddocks handler.
Aablan got rather warm beforehand on an admittedly muggy day and was steadied at the start by his rider.
Pushed along over a quarter of a mile from home, he showed signs of experience and briefly looked held as leader Inishfallen responded to his challenge, and Starlore prepared to launch a challenge wider on the track, but Ablaan belatedly took hold of the bridle and surged between runners to get up by a neck from Inishfallen (Brian Meehan/Sean Levey).
Starlore’s effort flattened out close home and he was passed by the fast-finishing Devil’s Point (David Menuisier/Oisin Murphy), who finished a length and a quarter behind the runner-up in third, with Starlore edged out of that place by a short-head.
“I wasn’t able to teach him all that much on his debut,” said Doyle. “But today was another learning curve. Aablan is quite flamboyant in his early paces, so it’s key to conserve that energy and the race couldn’t have worked out much better. We were able to get some cover, which helped, and he was soon nicely under control.
“He gets through the line well, so I was keen to let him go through his paces. He hasn’t got an electric turn of foot, but I knew this distance would be perfect with a stiff finish. Going further will be better. With this fella, a lot will depend on how he takes his races, so I don’t think Charlie will be in a great rush to make a decision on a target. He’s a lively character and takes a bit of managing, but the team at home have done a great job with him.”
HEREDIA (Richard Hannon/Sean Levey) could be heading for a new career in the US having landed the Group 3 Atalanta Stakes at the weekend.
The 5/2 market leader was better suited by the false pace than some of her main rivals in the Group 3 Atalanta Stakes and finished best to score by three-quarters of a length from Queen For You (John and Thady Gosden/Rab Havlin), with Potapova (Sir Michael Stoute/Ryan Moore) beaten a total of two lengths in third.
Roman Mist cut out the early running at no more than a modest pace, and although Heredia was held up in rear, and at a theoretical disadvantage as a result, she showcased a smart turn of foot when pulled out to the outside of the field by Levey and won with a bit more in hand than the bare margin, building on her impressive win in Haydock’s Dick Hern Stakes on her previous start.
Hannon said: “I don’t think they went overly quick, although I haven’t seen the time, and he had to come a bit wide. After her last run I thought she would run very well. She is clearly in the form of her life, and she has never been moving better.
“We were talking about some of the big races in America and she has justified going for one or two of those opportunities after this; she won’t be going stateside until she is a squeezed lemon, but it is up to them [owner/breeders St Albans Bloodstock] and I think they have got to try a big one in America in my name before one of those big trainers in America gets her.”
Richard Brown, spokesman for St Albans Bloodstock, said: “We will just enjoy this and have a look. There are some American options, but there are also options here. A Sun Chariot might come into the equation. She is not entered in that, but after that we could supplement her.”
Round-up
THERE was listed action at Beverley and Chester on Saturday.
The Listed CAA Stellar Chester Stakes went to the Karl Thornton-trained Shanroe (Jason Hart) who was well suited by the extended mile-six-furlong trip and has now gained five of his six flat victories at that distance.
Making all the running under a jockey who performs that trick as well as any in the UK, the 17/2 chance kept on strongly to repel the challenge of Divine Jewel (Roger Varian/David Egan) by a length and a quarter.
Charlie Appleby’s Military Order had been a St Leger gamble during the week, and was supported heavily into an SP of 4/5, but he weakened tamely as he had in the Derby, and has plenty to prove.
As well as Karl Thornton’s Chester win, there was also a rather predictable success at Hexham on Wednesday for John McConnell’s Lisnamult Lad (Ben Harvey), who landed the opening novice hurdle by what would have been called a distance in the old days but was recorded as a 37-length win for the 4/11 favourite.
The Beverley Bullet produced an exciting finish with a length covering the first four home, and it was Kerdos (Clive Cox/Ben Curtis) who showed improved form to get the better of Silky Wilkie by half a length, with the perennially luckless Apollo One a neck further away on a rare try at the minimum trip.
The winner - runner-up in the Palace of Holyrood House Stakes at Royal Ascot - was returned at 3/1 and was gaining his first taste of blacktype.