Newmarket Thursday

A MESSY running of the Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes went to the unbeaten Godolphin colt La Barrosa (Charlie Appleby/William Buick), but only after Buick had to work his way out of a pocket between pace-setting Dark Lion (Roger Varian/David Egan) and Qaader (Mark Johnston/Jim Crowley), the latter’s rider content to lock his main rival away in order to gain a tactical edge.

Luckily for the winner, a son of Lope De Vega – and punters who backed him into 4/7 favourite – Qaader was unable to maintain the gallop, allowing the winner to edge out and run down the runner-up, scoring by a length.

The apparent form of this contest is dubious in the circumstances, the distance between the winner and 50/1 outsider Albadri in fifth just three and a quarter lengths, but the gap in ability between the pair likely to be much greater in reality.

The winner is not entered in the Dewhurst, but Appleby suggested supplementing him for that race would be discussed.

Later on the card, Andrew Balding’s Ranch Hand carried the famous Paul Mellon colours (now registered to the Kingsclere Racing Club) to victory in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes, getting up late under Oisin Murphy to deny Withhold. The winner had been a little disappointing in failing to win this year prior to this sixth outing of the season.

Ranch Hand stays well, and has a touch of class, and it was intriguing to hear Balding suggest that the gelding would probably go hurdling in the winter. His father landed the 1991 Sun Alliance Hurdle in the same colours with Crystal Spirit, and the few horses from Kingsclere to go hurdling tend to do very well, with Top Cees, Scorned and Briareus also winning valuable events over timber.

Goodwood Wednesday

SEAN Levey has Richard Hannon and Jeanette McCreery to thank for his biggest career wins aboard Billesdon Brook in the 1000 Guineas and Sun Chariot Stakes, and Anna Nerium who runs in the McCreery colours, provided the Irish jockey with another notable success when landing the Foundation Stakes on her first try beyond an extended mile at Goodwood on Wednesday.

Levey got his mount relaxed enough to see out the longer trio, and she produced a fine turn of foot to cut her rivals down in the final furlong and a half, edging right but keeping on well to secure her fourth stakes win.

Sadly, the joy of success for connections of the winner was tempered by the news that David Menuisier’s splendid stable star Thundering Blue, due to be having his final race before retirement, could not be saved after pulling up in the straight with a leg injury.