TWENTY-four hours prior to Poptronic’s win in the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock, Karl Burke (nine winners between July 7th and 9th) secured another pattern race success courtesy of his exciting juvenile Kylian in the Listed Dragon Stakes at Sandown.
The Invincible Spirit colt had been touted in the spring as a potential Royal Ascot project but fluffed his lines on debut at York’s Dante meeting before being turned over at shorts odds for a second time at Carlisle 10 days later.
Ironically, he was in action during the week of the Royal Meeting when gaining a confidence boosting victory at Newcastle by four lengths last month.
Ryan Moore was on board for the first time at the Esher track last Friday and Kylian translated his homework to the track with an emphatic six-length win. In rear early on, he was pulled to the outside to challenge before blowing his rivals away with an explosive turn of speed to settle the five furlongs event in a matter of strides.
Like everyone else, his jockey was impressed and, while the form isn’t anything to get excited about with favourite Born To Rock underperforming, Burke’s winner is improving at a rate of knots.
Penny to drop
It has taken time for the penny to drop but Kylian is getting better with racing and is ready for the group challenges which lie ahead.
The same trainer was responsible for Havana Grey, who completed the Dragon Stakes/Molecomb Stakes double six years ago and the latter contest, a Group 3 event (August 2nd), could be next.
Looking further ahead, Moore suggested six furlongs won’t be an issue – he is bred to stay being out of a Listed Radley Stakes winner – which brings the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York (August 25th) into calculations.
The head of Spigot Lodge went close in that prestigious prize 12 months ago with Marshman.
Alternatively, given another smart display on the Sussex Downs early next month, would it be unrealistic to suggest a supplementary entry for the Nunthorpe Stakes 35 minutes later on day three of the Ebor Festival?
After all, the sprinting division over the minimum trip is hardly bursting at the seams.
Hills reveals a juvenile to follow
FRESH from his Royal Ascot success with Khaadem in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, Charlie Hills recorded his fourth group winner of 2023 when Equality claimed the Coral Charge at Sandown last weekend.
A couple of days earlier, the same trainer registered his fourth juvenile winner of the year when Murashah made the perfect start to his career in a seven-furlong novice stakes at Haydock Park.
Home-bred, the Shadwell-owned colt is by Night Of Thunder out of the same patron’s dual listed and Royal Ascot-winning mare Muteela.
Sent off 6/1, Jim Crowley’s mount did most things wrong but still managed to prevail.
Drawn widest of all in stall nine, he was slowly away and raced freely around the far bend. Making up ground on the outside, Murashah was still fifth with a furlong to run before being switched to the rail.
Staying on strongly, he reeled in the highly thought of evens favourite Hidden Pass to win going away by a neck.
The Hills-trained runner covered the last three furlongs in 34.18 seconds, including 10.97 seconds for the fifth furlong, with his finishing effort suggesting he won’t have any trouble staying a mile in due course – his dam won the Sandringham Handicap nine years ago.
Expect him to sharpen up for the experience though and therefore it is likely he will be kept to shorter trips for the immediate future. Sheikha Hissa and the Shadwell setup want runners on the big days, which means the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes over seven furlongs, formerly known as the Winkfield Stakes, at Ascot on King George day (July 29th) in a fortnight could be an option. Either way, Murashah looked above average on Merseyside this month.
Another smart one for Stoute
SIR Michael Stoute confessed many years ago that one of his favourite day’s racing is the opening afternoon of York’s Ebor Festival (August 23rd). It is hoped the 10-time champion trainer will be represented by either Bay Bridge or Desert Crown, or both, in the Group 1 Juddmonte International on that day next month.
On the same card, Freemason Lodge may be seeking their fifth win in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes with recent Sandown scorer Starlore.
The well-bred son of Kingman, who is out of a Grade 2 winner in the US and a half-brother to the former Dermot Weld-trained Flavius, provided his stable with their first juvenile winner of 2023.
Reported to have been pleasing everyone at home, the Juddmonte-owned colt was prominent throughout the seven-furlong novice stakes before hitting the front with over a furlong to run.
Quickest
Quickest through the penultimate furlong in 11.94 seconds, Ryan Moore’s mount idled inside the final 100 yards and was nearly pegged back by the fast-finishing pair of Maximum Dividend and Arabian Crown.
Stoute’s two-year-olds invariably improve for their initial outing and don’t be surprised if Starlore is elevated in class immediately. Comfy was the yard’s last winner of the Acomb Stakes, in the same silks under Kieren Fallon, 22 years ago.
In 2018, subsequent Irish 2000 Guineas winner Phoenix Of Spain made his debut in the same seven-furlong novice stakes at the Esher track en route to Acomb Stakes success. The Barbadian may have unearthed another good ‘un.
WHILE the name on licence may have switched from Mark to Charlie, the motto remains the same at Kingsley House Stables in Middleham, the home of the Johnston family, ‘Always Trying.’
Fifty miles east across North Yorkshire, Richard Fahey is enjoying another productive campaign with Wootton’Sun providing the Irishman with more big race success in the Old Newton Cup at Haydock last Saturday under a canny ride by the irrepressible Joe Fanning.
While he might not be one for making bold statements or grabbing media attention, given his initials are RAF, ‘Always Flying’ might be an appropriate motto for Fahey’s Musley Bank operation in future?