NEWBURY SATURDAY

RHODODENDRON, a very talented and versatile filly, gave everything to prevail by a short head in last Saturday’s Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

Dropping back to a mile, she was never far behind stable companions Deauville and Lancaster Bomber and came with her challenge on the outside of the field at the two-furlong pole. Making his effort nearer the stands’ rail, Lightning Spear matched her stride for stride in an all-out battle to the line, where Rhododendron (100/30f) had her head down to prevail by inches. Ryan Moore and Oisin Murphy were seen at their strongest.

This was yet another Group 1 triumph for Aidan O’Brien and Rhododendron’s sire Galileo. Also, it underlined the trainer’s sublime ability to coax the best from horses essaying a different trip.

The only filly in last week’s field, Rhododendron, 100/30 favourite, had finished second to Winter in the 2017 1000 Guineas, second again in the Oaks and runner-up to Wuheida in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar. Reappearing in the Prix Ganay at Longchamp, she finished fourth to Cracksman over ten furlongs plus, yet still had the requisite speed when dropped back to a mile for the Lockinge.

O’Brien saddled first, third and fifth, with Lancaster Bomber and Deauville divided by the slow-starting Dutch Connection, who ran a fine race under the circumstances. Addeybb (8th) had won the Lincoln and the Group 2 Sandown Mile but was found wanting in this company, while Limato could only finish 10th with his trainer Henry Candy subsequently slightly sceptical about the health of the horses in his yard.

“She wanted to go a gear higher in France so I wasn’t worried about a mile,” O’Brien said afterwards. “We came here thinking we could go to Ascot with the option of a mile or a mile and a quarter, so we’ll sit down with Ryan and the lads and think it over.”

The trainer also paid tribute to Rhododendron’s resilience, recalling last year’s Prix de Diane, where she bled during the race and was pulled up. She recovered to win the Prix de l’Opera in October. “We were very worried about her. There was blood everywhere and it’s very rare for a horse to come back from something like that,” the trainer commented.

GALLANT

David Simcock will send the gallant Lightning Spear to Ascot after seeing him finish runner-up in the race for the second year in a row. The seven-year-old has also finished third in the Queen Anne, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Sussex in the last two seasons but Simcock remained in good heart, having recently won the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches with Teppal.

O’Brien and Moore completed a double when The Irish Rover, who finished last of four on his previous run when rearing in the stalls at Ascot, won the Olympic Glory Conditions Stakes quite comfortably. Nicely named, by No Nay Never, the 7/2 chance appreciated the sixth furlong and the Coventry may be his best royal option. Moore was completing a treble on the card.