Haydock Saturday

Betfred Achilles Stakes

THE Listed Achilles Stakes looked a warm contest for the grade with Nunthorpe winner Live In The Dream looking to improve on a recent second in the Temple Stakes over course and distance, but it was 5/1 second favourite Believing (George Boughey/Danny Tudhope) who enhanced her Royal Ascot claims with quite an impressive win dropping back to five furlongs.

A close third to Regional in the 6 furlong Sprint Cup here last autumn, she had disappointed when tried in cheekpieces in the British Champions Sprint at Ascot in October, and again when taken to Hong Kong for the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize at Sha Tin. She bounced back to her best after a break, travelling sweetly behind the favourite and readily quickening away when that one weakened, beating Commanche Falls (Michael Dods/Connor Beasley) by two and three-quarter lengths, with the rest six lengths and more in arrears.

Although disappointing given his 5/4 starting price, Live In The Dream had some excuse as he stumbled at the start and never seemed to recover his usual poise despite recovering to lead into a headwind.

That headwind was largely responsible for what was a rather ordinary time, even taking into account overnight rain which changed the going to good.

“That was very impressive,” said George Boughey. “There was a strong headwind and the favourite was running into the teeth of it, but we weren’t sat that far behind. Believing will definitely run in the five furlong race [King Charles III Stakes] and it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise in the world if she also ran on the Saturday over six as well.”

Betfred Lester Piggott Stakes

QUEEN Of The Pride (John and Thady Gosden/Oisin Murphy) lived up to her top-notch pedigree by taking the Group 3 Lester Piggott Fillies’ Stakes at Haydock Park on Saturday afternoon. From the only crop of the ill-fated Roaring Lion out of St Leger winner Simple Verse, Queen Of The Pride has a pedigree that money can’t buy, and the Qatar Racing homebred has now got that coveted winning blacktype bracket.

The 9/2 shot travelled well just behind the pace set by outsider Wynter Wildes and was sent to the front well over a furlong out but had to repel a persistent late challenge from Lady Boba (Ralph Beckett/Rossa Ryan) who joined issue inside the last, with the front pair going hammer and tongs in the closing stages. Queen Of The Pride was adjudged to have got the better of that battle by a short-head, with Mistral Star (Hughie Morrison/Clifford Lee) another two and a quarter lengths back in third.

Sporting the familiar maroon silks of her owner/breeders, as did her sire and dam, Queen Of The Pride will now be sent in search of Group 1 honours, with the winning rider making his own suggestion for a suitable race in the post-race interview.

“Both her parents are Group 1 winners,” said Murphy to ITV cameras. “Queen Of The Pride has been slow to come to hand but she’s been well looked after and now we’re reaping the rewards. With more pace on and on nicer ground, she was really easy to ride, and I loved the way she galloped out. I think she’ll get further, and the Prix de Royallieu on Arc weekend might be good.”

Betfred John Of Gaunt Stakes

TIBER Flow (William Haggas/Tom Marquand) put his horror fall in the Duke of York Stakes behind him by winning the Group 3 Betfred John of Gaunt Stakes in style. The gelding clipped heels and turned a somersault in the York contest and is lucky to have emerged relatively unscathed, but as awful as that looked at the time for him and Marquand, the pair seemed to feel no ill-effects as they grabbed the initiative from the pace-setting Quinault inside the final furlong, and Tiber Flow passed the post a length to the good over Sirona (David Menuisier/Oisin Murphy), with Pogo (Charlie Hills/Kieran Shoe) keeping on for third, another half length away in quite a congested finish.

Marquand might have been forgiven for steering a clear path from his wide draw, but he took the brave man’s route between horses, and although tight for room inside the last, Tiber Flow never looked like shirking the issue, returning at an SP of 6/1.

“He’s a hardy little battler,” said the winning rider. “Everyone was happy with him, hence him being here today, but it was a bit of a fact-finding mission because as well as he looked at home you just don’t know.

“He hadn’t run over seven furlongs for a little while, so I took him back from a horrible draw and in fact the race worked out beautifully. They went quick but coming up the middle made it easier for me rather than having to swing out wide.”

Maureen Haggas added: “He’s a tough horse and as he gets older, he’s probably getting a bit better. While it didn’t look visually like he came around the bend very well, it nevertheless gave him something else to think about as he’s been doing most of his racing over six furlongs.

“There is the Wokingham for him at Ascot but probably not; he’s won a good race today and I’m sure William and the owners will work it out.”

THERE were a couple of listed races at Goodwood on Sunday; the mile-and-a-half Tapster Stakes has been won by Hukum and Trueshan in recent years, and this time it went to King Of Conquest, who beat Aimeric by a comfortable two and three-quarter lengths to gain a second listed success at the track.

On his previous start he was worn down in the dying strides in the Ascot Park Stakes at Newbury, so the 11/10 favourite was not winning out of turn.

The EBF Agnes Keyser Fillies’ Stakes saw hot favourite Sea Just In Time flop, with victory going to 14/1 shot Lava Stream (David O’Meara/Danny Tudhope), who came from off a steady pace to win by a neck.

She was a second winner on the weekend for owner/breeders Elwick Stud after half-brother Iron Lion (by Roaring Lion) had won the feature handicap at Haydock on Saturday.

Irish trained

There were three Irish-trained winners during the last week, if we include the success of the Joseph O’Brien- trained Lady With The Lamp (Billy Loughnane) at Bath last Friday after last week’s column had gone to press.

That success was followed by a double at Perth on Sunday for Stuart Crawford, courtesy of Mongibello in the opening novice hurdle and Kinbara Firstdraft in the 0-110 handicap hurdle.

Both winners were ridden by J.J. Slevin. The combination ought to have completed a treble with Paddy Elvis a couple of lengths to the good when crashing out at the final flight in the staying handicap hurdle later on the card.