Newbury Saturday

Hackwood Stakes

THE main contest at Newbury on Saturday in terms of the pattern was the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes which saw the exciting Elite Status (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee) make up for the disappointment of missing the Commonwealth Cup with a knocked joint. The son of Havana Grey was troubled by sesamoid issues as a juvenile but has looked very exciting when he’s 100% sound, winning the Carnarvon Stakes here on his return, and looking every bit as good as he took this step up in class in his stride. The 5/2 favourite was helped that Quinault and Regional got into something of a battle for the lead which left them vulnerable in the latter stages, with the former again too free without a hood as he was at Royal Ascot.

As the front pair began to paddle, Elite Status moved easily to the front, but had to withstand a late challenge from the Gimcrack winner, Lake Forest (William Haggas/Tom Marquand), who finished with a rattle from a poor position. The winning distance was half a length with the same margin back to Kind Of Blue (James Fanshawe/Daniel Muscutt) in third.

Karl Burke said afterwards: “Elite Status has been very frustrating, and we were gutted he couldn’t run in the Commonwealth. It’s not a serious injury, it’s just an annoying one. It’s like having a cut on your foot and you keep touching it. He’s wrapped up all the time and, as long as he doesn’t touch it at exercise, which he hasn’t done since Ascot, it heals.

“He has a huge stride on him, but I don’t think we’d want to stretch him any further than six. Haydock (Sprint Cup) would be the plan for him and Swingalong.”

Steventon Stakes

In the 2023 running of the Listed Steventon Stakes, Phantom Flight (then in the care of James Horton) had to play second fiddle to Al Aasy, but with both horses making their season bows in the latest renewal, it was easy to back Phantom Flight (George Scott/Callum Shepherd) who dominated the finish, with Al Aasy (William Haggas/Tom Marquand) runner-up, a length behind.

Despite his good form, Phantom Flight was allowed to drift to 16/1 outsider of the field, somewhat to the surprise of his new trainer, who trains him for Victorious Racing, the ownership vehicle of Bahrain’s Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, a growing force in the sport.

“We bought Phantom Flight for the Bahrain International and just wondered whether he’d end up being rated high enough,” said Scott.

“He certainly will be now! He looks a really exciting recruit and the boss, Shaikh Nasser, gets all the credit.

“He lets me try and find horses wherever I can and he’s so supportive and willing. He came to me in great condition and James Horton did a great job with him last year. We’ll work back from Bahrain, and I was thinking about the Ebor before then, but the handicapper will have his say now. I’m going to have to slightly reevaluate now but he’s a serious horse.”

Weatherby’s Super Sprint

The most valuable event of the weekend in the UK was the Weatherby’s Super Sprint, worth £129,000 to the winner, and the five-furlong dash proved a thriller, with Caburn (Jack Jones/Dylan Hogan) overcoming coltishness in the preliminaries to prevail by a neck over Vingegaard (Archie Watson/Hollie Doyle). The winner, a 12/1 chance, weaved through between the runner-up and Time For Sandals, who was beaten just a short-head for second in a frantic finish.

The winner, owned by a partnership headed by Steve Antram, won over six furlongs on debut and needed every inch of the trip to get up here, with Jones, in just his second season with a licence, aiming him for the Gimcrack Stakes at York for his next outing.

Murphy has a Sure Touch

Market Rasen Saturday

Unibet Summer Plate Handicap Chase

SATURDAY was Market Rasen’s most prestigious raceday of the year, featuring the Summer Plate and Summer Hurdle, and the former is the track’s most valuable race with £56,950 to the winner and the two-mile, five-furlong steeplechase is arguably the highlight of the British summer jumps season.

As always, the picturesque track made for an entertaining spectacle and in a close finish, the winner was Sure Touch (Olly Murphy/Harry Cobden), who prevailed by a neck from the luckless Soul Icon (Kieran Burke) after the pair had engaged in a ding-dong tussle from the third-last fence.

The winner, a 14/1 chance, was completing a four-timer having been very well placed to win nine of his 18 career starts for Murphy and owners Geegeez.co.uk.

Out of Robert Waley-Cohen’s fine racemare Liberthine, the son of Yeats is certainly bred for chasing despite his rather diminutive stature, and his jumping was again impeccable as he held on with little to spare.

Soul Icon was completing a four-timer of his own, albeit a less fortunate one, finishing second on his last four starts over fences, but he did nothing wrong having been on the sharp end throughout, and was trying to come back at the winner at the line having battled with that rival for much of the straight.

Peter Bowen, now training with son Michael, couldn’t add a ninth win in the Summer Plate, but saddled both Statuario and Francky Du Berlais to get a share of prize money in third and fourth.

Summer Handicap Hurdle

The Summer Hurdle result was proof of the virtue of patience with Fergal O’Brien and owner Nic Brereton winning the race at the third attempt with Castel Gandolfo (Jonathan Burke) after the popular grey had finished second in 2022 and 2023. The 11/1 chance made headway from just off the gallop to lead early in the straight and held off 7/2 favourite Kihavah (Adrian Keatley/Henry Brooke) to win by half a length.

“Castle Gandolfo has been placed here a lot,” mused the winning rider. “He was always finding one too good, but he felt great today and was working well. I got a grand run round and every split that I needed came. He loves it here so he could come back here for the Prelude meeting.”

Around The Tracks

Cartmel is often a happy hunting ground for Irish stables and that was again the case on Saturday when John McConnell and Dylan Kidd landed the opening novice hurdle with 3/1 joint-favourite Dinoland.

The son of Doctor Dino was headed after the last but rallied to regain the lead close home.