NEWMARKET

HUGO Palmer, successful with Koropick at Newcastle, also enjoyed success much closer to home when 13/8 favourite Home Of The Brave took the Group 3 Betway Criterion Stakes at Newmarket.

Effective when given time between races, Home Of The Brave was following up a listed victory at Leicester, taking in a schedule similar to last year.

Given a fine ride by James Doyle, he controlled the nearside group at his own pace while the returning Ibn Malik led overall. Home Of The Brave eventually took it up with two furlongs to travel and stayed on gamely to repel the challenge of Jungle Cat by three-parts of a length – giving Godolphin a one-two.

Home Of The Brave is a seven-furlong specialist, in which case the Group 2 Lennox Stakes at Goodwood is an obvious target. He finished second to Dutch Connection in that race last year. Ibn Malik, who eventually finished fourth in Saturday’s race, could also take his chance there for Charlie Hills.

dIVA SET FOR A BIGGER STAGE

Richard Fahey experienced a quieter Saturday than many thought likely but promising youngster Dance Diva ran out a convincing winner of the Listed Betway Empress Fillies’ Stakes over six furlongs. Not for the first time, Fahey was responsible for the first two home in a Newmarket sprint, Dance Diva and William Buick coming in just over a length ahead of stable-companion Maggies Angel with So Hi Society third.

The winner, by Fahey’s Group 1-winning sprinter Mayson, was making it three out of three after showing raw pace and overcoming inexperience on her first two runs. She should progress and make it up into a Group 3 filly at least.

LORD YEATS STRIKES

It was a good day for the north with Fahey’s neighbour Jedd O’Keeffe landing the Listed Fred Archer Stakes over a mile and a half with Lord Yeats.

This is smart form because Roger Charlton’s Second Step came with a well-timed challenge to take over, only for PJ McDonald and long-time leader Lord Yeats to rally and collar him near the line.

With a name like Jedd O’Keefee, the winning trainer sounds like a latter-day hillbilly but nothing could be further from the truth, as a remarkable four-timer across three different cards the day before demonstrated.

“We’ll have a think about coming back for the July Meeting but Lord Yeats is in the Irish and American St Legers as well,” O’Keeffe said. His sire Yeats won the Irish Field St Leger in 2007.