Newmarket Friday

Bet365 Fillies’ Mile (Group 1)

PRECISE (Aidan O’Brien/Christophe Soumillon) was a warm favourite at 5/4 in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket on Friday and punters barely had to sweat to collect as the daughter of Starspangledbanner ran away from useful rivals to record a three and a quarter length win over Venetian Lace (Charlie Johnston/Jason Hart), with Evolutionist (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee) third, a further length behind.

The recent Moyglare Stud Stakes winner was providing Aidan O’Brien with his 22nd Group 1 victory of the season and was given a canny ride by Soumillon, who has linked up with O’Brien for a flurry of top-level successes since Ryan Moore has been sidelined.

Soumillon was at his canniest as he made the decision to drop Precise back after the start before switching to the stands’ side, where he was able to track the pace set by Venetian Lace rather than his stablemate Moments Of Joy.

That decision was certainly the correct one in the circumstances, with Moments Of Joy unable to sustain her run, but 40/1 Venetian Lace giving the winner a tow much deeper into the contest.

Impressive success

Venetian Lace still led into the dip, but Soumillon was sitting pretty on Precise, who hit the front over a furlong out and powered away to an impressive success. She was immediately cut to clear favourite for the 1000 Guineas at 5/1 from twice that price.

O’Brien said: “We weren’t sure how good she was, but she is a serious filly. It was very impressive. She has not been asked to do anything, and she does everything so easily. She is only a baby really and she is going to mature a lot physically. She is very unassuming and very classy. She is very exciting.

“They will be trained for the classics,” he continued, referring to Precise and last weekend’s Marcel Boussac winner Diamond Necklace.

“I would imagine they will be trained for the Guineas, and the lads will decide how they are. I don’t think we will see her again this season.”

Beauvatier’s turn of foot

The Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes, a Group 2 contest, was won in sparkling style by Beauvatier (Yann Barberot/Alexis Pouchin), who came from off the strong pace to win by two and a quarter lengths and two and three-quarter lengths from Poet Master (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee) and Cosmic Year (Harry Charlton/Colin Keane).

Fourth in last year’s British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot, Beauvatier last won at Deauville in July when taking the Group 3 Prix du Ris-Orangis and the 7/1 chance was well-suited by the very strong pace set by Audience.

Initially outpaced, he gradually found his feet and, as Poet Master took over with two furlongs left, Audience retreated quickly and Beauvatier moved up to track the leader travelling powerfully. Pulled out to challenge shortly after, he accelerated smartly to win well.

Alex Solis, racing manager to part owners LNJ Foxwoods, said: “We finally found out today that he wants a bit more cover and a little more distance and it was very impressive. In the Group 1s this year, he never got cover and was a little rank, so today (Alexis) just grabbed him out of the gate. He wanted him covered up, and he was right. Yann deserves all the credit.

“The first furlong, they didn’t look like they were going quick then they took off, and it probably set up for him that way. We were lucky to buy a piece of him - Nicolas des Chambure put us in as we were looking for a stallion prospect in Europe, and he is right on the money. Truthfully, we thought he was a stallion prospect, but there might be more money running him.”

WINNER of the valuable sales race at Doncaster last month, Calendar Girl (Owen Burrows/Callum Rodriguez) built on that big payday to make her breakthrough at pattern level, taking the Group 3 Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes in typically determined fashion.

Drawn lower than ideal, she travelled strongly held up and had only the front-running Mubasimah (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) to beat in the dip, but that filly proved equally game, digging in when joined, and going under by just a neck at the line, with the front pair pulling two lengths clear of Senorita Vega (Tom Dascombe/Sean Levey).

The winner was returned at 6/5 favourite and has been cut for the 2026 1000 Guineas, for which she is now a general 33/1 chance.

Burrows said: “She was always doing enough when she felt the other horse there and Callum said she has not had a hard time of it. It is a nice way to have them, as you would rather have them like that.

“She has just had a look there as it is a big wide-open place. She wants a mile, and she will be a miler next year. That was good.

“She is a big filly, and we would like to think she will improve with a winter on her back. It is great for these guys who are now dreaming. It is great that she has had a bit of experience here and it is the obvious plan.

“If it is a nice enough spring, we might pop up to Newbury with her (for the Fred Darling Stakes). We will wait and see what the winter does.”

Cornwallis Stakes

Beckford’s Folly (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) bounced back to form with a narrow success in the Group 3 Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes, shaping as though the drop to 5f suited him ideally on his first attempt.

Held up just off a strong early gallop set by Revival Power, the 16/1 shot travelled well and responded gamely when switched inside the final furlong. Challenged late by the well-backed favourite Brussels (Aidan O’Brien/Christophe Soumillon), he showed a willing attitude to prevail by a nose in a tight finish, giving Appleby a first win in the race.

Aspect Island (James Owen/Pat Cosgrave) was three-parts of a length back in third of the 10 runners.

Beckford’s Folly was only sixth in the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes at Kempton last time, but this effort suggests he’s better suited to a strongly-run five furlongs. The winner is likely to be campaigned in Dubai over the winter.

Chepstow Friday

THE Grade 2 Persian War Novices’ Hurdle is the first proper test of the novice hurdlers in the UK, and victory went to the Olly Murphy-trained Sticktotheplan (Sean Bowen) on his first start for connections having won a Listed event on his final start for Cormac Farrell at the Galway Festival.

Sent off a 15/2 chance behind the well-backed Queensbury Boy, Sticktotheplan was given a patient ride by the champion jockey as the early fractions were cut out by Laravie.

That mare cut out quickly, leaving the race looking wide open on the home turn, but Sticktotheplan stuck to his guns and came through to lead between the last two and going on to beat Kainsbourg (Gordon Elliott/James Bowen) and Moneygarrow (Dan/Harry Skelton) by four lengths and seven lengths, with Queensbury Boy finding little for pressure in fourth having held every chance.

High regard

The winner was allowed to start at 22/1 when winning at Galway but showed that to be an insult to his ability by conceding a penalty.

He’s taken time to fulfil his potential but has always been held in high regard by Farrell and looks a good prospect for similar races going forward, with the 2m5f Grade 2 Hyde Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham’s November Meeting an obvious target.

There was also an interesting Veterans’ Chase on the Chepstow card, which went to Hang In There (Emma Lavelle/Gavin Sheehan) who swooped from off the pace to score at 6/1, beating joint-favourite Courtland, although the result may have been different had not leader Torn And Frayed made a race-ending blunder at the final open ditch when still travelling best.