Ascot Saturday

MOST impressive performance at Ascot on Saturday came from the filly Albaflora (Ralph Beckett/Rossa Ryan), who was sent off favourite at 4/1 and slammed her rivals in the Listed Buckhounds Stakes by seven lengths and more.

The Kirsten Rausing-owned four-year-old is descended from Rausing’s champion racemare Alborada, and was unraced as a juvenile, but ran second in last year’s Musidora Stakes on just her second start. She failed to win afterwards, but was beaten just a head by St Leger runner-up Berkshire Rocco on her final start, and has clearly thrived for having another winter behind her.

It’s easy to knock the form of the contest, with 50/1 shot Tribal Craft (Andrew Balding/David Probert) best of the rest, and herself a long way clear of the third, with plenty seeming to struggle on the soft ground.

However, the winner is certainly one to keep onside, given her positive profile.

Copperless was peerless

Haydock Saturday

THE big race on Haydock’s mixed card on Saturday was the Grade 3 Swinton Handicap Hurdle, which was won most impressively by 9/2 market-leader Copperless (Olly Murphy/Aidan Coleman), beating Cormier (Brian Ellison/Danny McMenamin) by eight and a half lengths in a decent time considering the ground.

The well-related Kayf Tara gelding was making amends for a fall at Aintree last month when looking likely to win. This success came off 126, and he was raised 15lb by the official handicapper on the back of it, but he’s an imposing sort who looks the sort to step up into open company in the autumn, and could be quite exciting.

Qaysar (Richard Hannon/Joe Fanning) was a 9/2 winner of the Listed Spring Trophy, the pick of Haydock’s flat races on the card, but favourite Raaeq probably failed to handle the heavy conditions.

The winner was below form when turned out in the Listed Royal Windsor Stakes just 48 hours later, finishing third to 11/4 chance Solid Stone (Sir Michael Stoute/Ryan Moore).

Enterprising ride

The winner came in for an enterprising ride, staying on the stands’ side in the home straight as the others made for supposedly better ground on the far side, and the form of both races is likely to prove muddling.

NOTTINGHAM also staged a listed race on Saturday, with Queen Elizabeth’s Light Refrain (William Haggas/Shane Kelly) coping well with the heavy ground to register a one and a quarter-length win over favourite Last Empire (Kevin Ryan/Danny Tudhope). The winner stayed best on the day, and looks ready for a return to seven furlongs.