Sandown Thursday \ Rory Delargy

BAY Bridge (Sir Michael Stoute/Ryan Moore) went unbeaten in four 2021 outings, graduating to listed class in the autumn, but his trainer is a past master at getting further improvement out of older horses.

He looked an improved model as he quickened smartly to land a strong renewal of the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes on Thursday evening, beating Mostahdaf (John & Thady Gosden/Jim Crowley) and the pacesetting Addeybb (William Haggas/Tom Marquand). The margins were five lengths and a length.

Mostahdaf, winner of the Gordon Richards Stakes over course and distance on his previous start looked a big danger early in the straight, but when Ryan Moore asked Bay Bridge (7/4) to quicken a furlong out, the response was hugely impressive.

To put such a margin between himself and the highly rated runner-up suggests that the winner – a horse with great physical presence – is a new middle-distance star, and a winner in waiting at the highest level.

This was an 11th success in the Group 3 contest for Sir Michael Stoute, and a seventh for the winning rider, and firms were quick to slash his odds for the Hardwicke Stakes next month, although James Wigan, co-owner of Bay Bridge with Ballylinch Stud, hinted that it would be the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot instead.

Strong boy

“He is such a big, strong boy that we rather thought in the paddock that he might need the race, so we are particularly pleased. We have always thought a lot of him, and Sir Michael’s been very complimentary about him, so it is a very nice surprise,” Wigan said.

“He is in the Prince of Wales’s and the Hardwicke. We will ask Sir Michael what he thinks, but I think we will probably be inclined to stick to a mile and a quarter at the moment.

“We thought there was something special in him last year and Ballylinch bought into him in the winter. It is very nice for them too. You feel a bit guilty if you sell a half share in a horse and it doesn’t work!”

HUGHIE Morrison’s five-year-old Quickthorn proved very game as he made most of the running to land the Group 2 Henry II Stakes, with his rider Tom Marquand seeming to judge the pace to a nicety.

The pair kept wide in the early stages before taking the lead, and Marquand then wound up his mount – sent off the 11/4 favourite - from over half a mile out, daring the others to catch him if they could.

Quickthorn was showing signs of fatigue as he climbed the final hill, but he had enough in reserve to repel the challengers, headed by Nate The Great (Andrew Balding/Hollie Doyle) and Rodrigo Diaz (David Simcock/Jamie Spencer) by a length and three-quarters and three-parts of a length.

Quickthorn was franking the form of the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot, where he looked unlucky not to get to Princess Zoe after being short of room, and this was a deserved success in the circumstances.

The winner will not attempt to gain revenge on Princess Zoe as Hughie Morrison has not entered him for the Gold Cup, reasoning that an autumn campaign would suit him better, and that this ground is as fast as he would like, a notion backed up by the winning ride, who said that despite winning gamely, Quickthorn did not really enjoy the quickish ground.

National Stakes

The Listed National Stakes was won by the David O’Meara- trained Maria Branwell, who looked a filly of some potential as she ran down odds-on favourite Crispy Cat (Michael O’Callaghan/Rossa Ryan) to win by a neck under Danny Tudhope, with the pair a long way clear of their rivals.

Crispy Cat travelled strongly and looked set to win when sweeping past early leader Democracy Dilemma, but Maria Branwell showed real tenacity despite meeting trouble and looking green when asked for maximum effort.

The winner was well supported throughout the day and was sent off second favourite at 3/1. Tudhope reported that she would stay six furlongs, and the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot may be on her agenda.