Newmarket Friday
Falmouth Stakes (Group 1)
THE highlight of Friday’s card was the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes and saw a clash between Royal Ascot winners Porta Fortuna (Donnacha O’Brien/Ryan Moore) and Running Lion, with the former, who landed the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at the Royal meeting, proving much the stronger as Running Lion blew out completely. Sent off at 10/11, Porta Fortuna tracked Running Lion in the early stages as Rogue Millennium ploughed a lone furrow up the centre.
With Running Lion coming under strong pressure three furlongs out, before fading tamely out of the picture, Ryan Moore found himself in front earlier than he would have liked.
He had to keep Porta Fortuna up to her work to stop her idling, but she knuckled down well and pulled clear of her rivals in the last furlong to win by three lengths and three quarter. Jabaara (Roger Varian/James Doyle) fared best of a quartet who crossed the line in unison for the places.
Hat-trick
There was a dead heat for third between Rogue Millennium (Joseph O’Brien/William Buick) and A Lilac Rolla (Paddy Twomey/Billy Lee), that pair just a head behind the runner-up. This was a third Group 1 win for Porta Fortuna after victories in the Cheveley Park Stakes and the Coronation Stakes, while she was beaten narrowly in both the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf and the 1000 Guineas to add to an exemplary record.
She has been regarded as needing fast turf to show her best but coped well with ground which was no quicker than good at Newmarket, and is certainly not one-dimensional in regards to the surface.
Her stamina for a stiff mile was questioned prior to Ascot, but that argument has been well and truly proven, and she was notably strong on the final climb here to underline that she has few weaknesses now. O’Brien said: “With any Group 1, there’s always some pressure but she’s delivered. All the best three-year-olds were there, so it’s nice to see her go and do it again.
“I think it’s sensible to give her a little break now, then prepare her for the Matron, Sun Chariot and then Breeders’ Cup, something like that.
“I think the Filly & Mare is one-mile-three this year, if it was a mile-one, we’d be tempted to have a go, so it would probably be the Mile against the boys, which will be tough, but all of her owners are American, so it would be nice for them, and it’s always been the plan.”
Duchess of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2)
THE stable of Simon & Ed Crisford was under a cloud during Royal Ascot, but they came roaring back with a double on Friday at Newmarket, with the highlight being the victory of Arabian Dusk (Harry Davies) in the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes. The 12/1 shot arrived a maiden, but had shown plenty of promise, firstly in a Doncaster maiden and then when beaten less than one and three quarter lengths in the Empress Fillies’ Stakes at this track less than a fortnight ago.
Arabian Dusk had finished a place behind Tales of The Heart in the Empress Stakes but comfortably overturned that form here. Jumping alertly from stall one, Arabian Dusk kept close tabs on Heavens Gate and although coming under pressure with a couple of furlongs to run, she found her stride when meeting rising ground in the last furlong.
She was full value for a verdict of three parts of a length over Mountain Breeze (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) with the same margin back to Heavens Gate (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) who had no excuses having been in the firing line throughout, as she had when third in the Albany Stakes, a place in front of Mountain Breeze.
Irish stock
“Katie Walsh consigned her,” said Simon Crisford of the expensive breeze-up purchase. “She always produces great stock and this filly was an obvious one for Shaikh Duaij to try to buy. He is absolutely thrilled.
“I’m not sure the Guineas will be the right trip for her but she certainly wasn’t stopping at the end of the race today – in fact she was looking for a bit of company and I think she would have gone again if she had been challenged.
“I think we’ll stick to this trip for the moment and maybe look at the Lowther Stakes and Cheveley Park and see what we are like over the winter.
“The reality is she came here today as a maiden and now she has won that race we know she has a lot of ability with a great temperament. There is every reason to think she can keep advancing as the season progresses.”
The Crisfords were completing a 55/1 double on the card following the victory of Involvement in the opening ten-furlong handicap, which sets them up nicely for Vandeek’s bid to land Saturday’s July Cup.
Involvement was ridden by Oisin Murphy, who himself completed a double on the blinkered Fairbanks (Andrew Balding) in the mile and three quarters Bet365 Trophy.