Doncaster

HAQEEQY was an impressive winner of the Unibet Lincoln, a race which has morphed from a hugely competitive handicap to a stepping-stone for group-race performers in recent years, and John and Thady Gosden’s four-year-old fit the bill as a progressive sort who will be tackling blacktype races from now on.

The well-supported 9/2 second favourite did not enjoy a particularly clear run through the race, so the manner in which he quickened past the well-ridden Brunch (Michael Dods/Callum Rodriguez), was impressive, with the length-and-a-half runner-up briefly looking set for victory, but readily swept aside when Benoit De La Sayette finally got a clear run on the winner.

Winner

The first two home were rated 100, and while the winner has gone up 7lb for winning, perhaps the most interesting of these for future handicaps is Brunch, who has been raised just 1lb for this fine effort, with the fact he was conceding 7lb due to the winning rider’s claim particularly apt here. Brunch has shown his best form on a sound surface, and did everything right here, so is one to keep on side with races like the Spring Cup at Newbury and the Royal Hunt Cup in mind.

Winning rider De La Sayette is an undeniable prodigy, who was having his first ride on turf, and yet has the bearing of a jockey who has been booting them home for years. He is obviously reminiscent of a young Frankie Dettori, and while youthful talent can easily be squandered, the fact that he’s attached to Clarehaven Stables is a big positive in terms of keeping his feet on the ground.

As well as being a marquee winner for the jockey, it was also a first domestic turf win for Thady Gosden in his new role as joint licence holder at the yard. Somewhat ironically, Gosden junior was at Meydan, celebrating a double on Dubai World Cup night, even though both of those wins will be credited only to his father.

The partnership officially got off the mark at the first opportunity, with the well-bred Regent winning a 10-furlong novice at Lingfield on Friday last, and there has been a steady flow of winners since, auguring well for the season ahead.

Emotional

Finally, this was an emotional success for winning owner Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum, the daughter of the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who died only a few days before the race.

Sheikha Hissa’s continued involvement in the sport would help ameliorate some of the negative press publicity generated regarding the Dubai ruling family, and a tribute she posted to her late father on social media last week shows a very different father-daughter relationship than the one which has been making tabloid headlines of late.

Top too good in Unibet Mile

AN important aspect of racing at Doncaster on occasion, and particularly this weekend, was the wind, and those who faced the breeze were largely at a disadvantage in doing so.

It was something of a surprise, therefore, to see Beat Le Bon – an habitual hold-up performer – make the running in the Listed Doncaster Mile, and he ran below form as a result, with the race going to the penalised Top Rank (James Tate/P J McDonald), who produced a smart performance to beat What’s The Story (Keith Dalgleish/Callum Rodriguez) by a length, his advantage in racing with cover certainly a factor, but he did well to concede weight to a representative field for the level, and is a late-developing son of Dark Angel who should progress again this year.

The 11/2 shot was easy enough to back racing on ground as fast as he would want, but the track seems to suit him well. As a big, heavy-topped horse, he might not relish racing on a fast surface too often, and he was impressive when winning the Group 3 Superior Mile on soft at Haydock last autumn, and it will be disappointing if he cannot score again at that level in 2021.

THE Listed Cammidge Trophy went the way of the Charlie Hills-trained Royal Commando under Kieran Shoemark, the four-year-old son of No Nay Never bouncing back to his best having disappointed after an excellent fourth in the Commonwealth Cup on his 2020 return.

His only previous win had come in a six-and-a-half-furlong maiden here as a juvenile, and given he looked well forward in the paddock compared to some of his rivals, it’s a worry that he will prove hard to place in better company. That said, he quickened well to get the better of runner-up Emaraaty Ana (Kevin Ryan/Kevin Stott), and those who backed him into 15/2 from much bigger prices in the morning were always on good terms with themselves.

A number of those in behind the winner were not seen to best effect, and it’s hard to take a high view of the bare form, accepting that several will be much better for the outing.

Global domination for in-form Gosdens

Kempton

GLOBAL Giant (John & Thady Gosden) flopped when tried on dirt in the Saudi Cup in February, but he was a listed winner on turf at Newbury last summer before finishing second in the hugely valuable Bahrain International Trophy in November.

The six-year-old entire didn’t need to repeat the form he showed for either of those efforts in order to get back to winning ways in a workaday listed race back on home soil.

Rab Havlin had his only moment of concern when the 8/15 market leader jumped a little awkwardly from the stalls, but he was soon on an even keel, and the race was over as a contest soon after Havlin asked him to take over early in the straight.

Havlin didn’t have to get too serious for his mount to run out a six-length winner from Stormy Antarctic (Ed Walker/Luke Morris).

The winner was a beaten favourite in the Group 3 Rose of Lancaster Stakes last August, but on balance of form he ought to be able to land a similar prize this year.