Newbury Saturday

THE Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes found an appropriate winner in the shape of Andrew Balding’s Array (Oisin Murphy), who beat Mister Sketch by half a length, thereby reversing Sirenia Stakes form with the runner-up.

The heavy ground led to a less-than-vintage renewal of the contest, and with just over a length covering the first five home in a six-runner race, it’s not form to dwell on.

Despite the messy race, victory will have meant plenty to the winning trainer, given the race is named after the best horse trained by his father at Kingsclere, and while Ian Balding won the race twice before handing over the reins to his son, Andrew has been trying for 20 years to get the trophy on his sideboard with out success – until now.

The No Nay Never colt is out of Frankel’s half-sister Joyeuse.

Balding said: “Obviously this race is important to our family. We try to find one for it, but Dad trained our last winner, Firebreak, while I’ve had two seconds and a third before this.

“I can’t see why this won’t be a horse with a big future and Oisin thinks it would be worth trying him over further. It’s not impossible he will get a mile. The Middle Park is too soon and if he was supplemented into the Dewhurst, it would need a unanimous decision.”

THUNDERBEAR (Jack Davison/Sean Levey) was unfancied in the market at 12/1 but showed a willing attitude to get the better of a duel with the well-backed Nymphadora (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) in the Group 3 World Trophy, giving the Killarkin Stud handler a coveted blacktype success.

On the heavy ground, only the first two really featured, with Nymphadora leading and briefly looking in control when quickening off the front, but Thunderbear battled hard, and got his head in front before the filly rallied late to produce an exciting finish to the contest, a neck separating the pair at the line.

Also on the card there was a very popular win for the 11-year-old Not So Sleepy (15/2), better known as a hurdler. The Hughie Morrison-trained gelding, with Oisin Murphy in the saddle, rallied well to see off Salt Bay by two lengths after making most of the running and will have another crack at the Cesarewitch.

Ayr Saturday

Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup

PORTLAND Handicap runner-up Significantly (Joe Fanning) was turned out quickly by Julie Camacho to win the Ayr Gold Cup, the son of Garswood overcoming trouble in running to land the big handicap having been backed into 8/1 favouritism.

The five-year-old travelled very strongly throughout but had to wait for gaps to appear, and when Fanning had to take evasive action when an opening between Ramazan and Gweedore suddenly closed inside the final furlong, it looked like he would endure another heartbreaking defeat, but he rallied to tremendous effect to get up close home to beat that pair by a neck and half a length.

“We’re thrilled,” said Camacho’s husband and assistant Steve Brown. “He’s a decent horse and it’s a bit of compensation for last week when he ran so well but didn’t quite make it.

“He’s a horse that was very good in his younger days and he’s just slowly working his way back to that level.”

PRIME Art ran out an impressive winner of the Group 3 Firth Of Clyde Stakes for Johnny Murtagh and Ben Curtis, landing a gamble having been backed from 25/1 in the morning to 10/1 at the off.

Held up in mid-pack in the early stages after missing a beat at the start, the daughter of Churchill was asked to make a move at halfway and found generously for pressure to hit the front inside the final furlong, and she had a length and three-quarters to spare over Great Generation (Marco Botti/Stefano Cherchi).

The Michael O’Callaghan-trained Navassa Island (Cieren Fallon) kept on to get the better of a bunch for third, two lengths adrift of the winner.

Prime Art was building on a maiden win at Naas just nine days previously and is clearly coming on in leaps and bounds having taken three bites of the cherry to break her maiden.

Rhyme finds Rhythm

The Listed Doonside Cup proved a two-horse affair, with John Smith’s Cup winner Pride Of America setting a strong pace in front as expected, but he was reeled in late by the 6/5 favourite Royal Rhyme (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee), who led the main pack as the leader went clear and worked his way to the front around a furlong from home before repelling the runner-up’s rally to score by a length and a half.

This win took Royal Rhyme’s record on good or softer turf to four wins from four runs, and he holds an entry in the Champion Stakes at Ascot next month.

That may seem a big step up, but Addeybb won the Ascot contest in 2020 having landed this corresponding event by a narrow margin, so there is a precedent.