Newmarket Saturday
BetMGM Sun Chariot Stakes (Group 1)
BLUE Bolt (Andrew Balding/Colin Keane) fully lived up to her 1/4 SP in the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes, beating Evolutionist (Karl Burke/Shane Foley) by two and three-quarter lengths, with City Of Memphis (Paddy Twomey/Billy Lee) a neck away in third.
Moon Target set a searching gallop and opened a clear advantage three furlongs from home, but Blue Bolt was always travelling strongly in behind.
Keane allowed the Juddmonte filly to close through the dip, sent her on two furlongs out and, despite edging left, she powered away on the final climb.
Evolutionist made late progress from the rear but never threatened the winner, who stopped the clock at 1m 34.56s on ground described as good to firm.
The performance capped a fine afternoon for Balding and Keane and underlined Blue Bolt’s authority over the older fillies and mares. She settled the race quickly once asked and had enough in reserve to maintain a clear advantage to the line.
This win was a fourth Group 1 of the season for Blue Bolt and her sixth win of a flawless season, leading her trainer to say: “She’s just improved all year. It’s extraordinary and a great credit to the guys at home. Alfie Redman, one of my apprentices, rides her every day and she’s not easy. She takes a bit of managing, and he’s just done a lovely job.
“Alfie said to me the other day that she feels better than she’s done all year. But you just never know with fillies, particularly if you get to this time of year and they’ve had plenty of racing.
“At some stage, they’re not going to be at that peak. We were just hoping we could hang on for today and she looked as good as ever.
“I was happy to see Sir Mark’s horse just kick on and we could relax a little. It was a good performance in a good time and looks strong form.”
The Breeders’ Cup is the next obvious stop for Blue Bolt, where she has the option of the Mile or the Filly & Mare Turf, run this year over an extended nine furlongs.
Regarding the possibility of stepping up in trip at Keeneland, Balding added: “We were just discussing it. I’m fairly relaxed about it. I think she’d have no problem with the extra furlong and a half on those types of tracks. No problem at all.
“Obviously, the Mile is a more significant race in many ways [but] it’s a decision for the owners and I’d be happy with whatever they decide.”
Night In Vegas pays out
Night In Vegas (Eve Johnson Houghton/Charles Bishop) continued his lucrative campaign for owners Kennet Valley Syndicates when collecting the £200,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes at 8/13, beating old rival Zigazig Ah (Richard Spencer/Saffie Osborne) by two and three-quarter lengths.
Velociraptor (Hugo Palmer/David Probert) was a further three-parts of a length back in third.
Prominent from the outset, Night In Vegas took over before halfway and although he drifted left under pressure from over a furlong out, Bishop kept him balanced.
The favourite lengthened again when meeting rising ground to score with comfort and make it a hat-trick of wins in valuable Sales contests this term, having already landed big pots on the July Course and at Doncaster in recent weeks.
Eve Johnson Houghton said: “He is just such a dude. He’s not the biggest, but it doesn’t matter. And he’s just improving and improving and improving in every run, which is great.
“I came up in the car with Charlie and we were saying, we know he’s the best horse in the race, but the other two good horses are drawn on the rail.
“Charlie said he did have to kick earlier than he wanted, but he just kept increasing and increasing. That just shows how good he really is.
“He was backed like he was the best horse in the race. He was odds-on favourite for a reason. I keep saying to the owners, the elastic will ping at some point, but hopefully not today. And it wasn’t today, so that’s really good.”
Asked where she would go next, the trainer was in no doubt, nominating the new juvenile conditions contest at Ascot on Champions’ Day rather than supplementing for the Dewhurst, which she reasoned would come too soon.
Ascot Saturday
AL Aasy (William Haggas/Daniel Tudhope) gained a deserved first Cumberland Lodge Stakes success at the third attempt, the nine-year-old edging out Royal Playwright (Andrew Balding/Jason Watson) by a neck at 7/1. Stablemate and favourite Tenability was a length and a quarter farther back in third.
Held up last after a slow start, Al Aasy was produced with trademark patience, as Tenability lifted the tempo from the front. Tudhope made smooth headway two furlongs out and struck for home inside the final furlong.
The winner hung right and carried Royal Playwright across the track, but always appeared to be doing enough, registering his third win of the season and a remarkable 14th career victory, with nine of those coming at this Group 3 level.
HIDDEN Force (Charlie Appleby/Billy Loughnane) returned from a break to land the six-furlong Bengough Stakes at 6/1, beating Prince Of India (Marco Botti/Pat Dobbs) by three-quarters of a length, with Stratusnine (Hugo Palmer/Jason Watson) a length and a quarter away in third.
Hidden Force was held up in mid-field while Jasour set the pace.
Travelling strongly but short of room at the two-furlong marker, he was switched right and quickened through decisively.
Prince Of India briefly hit the front a furlong out, but the Godolphin colt swept past inside the final furlong and kept on well for a first success in pattern company, on what was his first start after wind surgery.
His only defeat to date came in the Craven Stakes on his return, and he remains unexposed at sprint trips.
Rest of the card
BILLY Loughnane will be officially crowned champion jockey on Champions Day and he is not resting on his laurels, registering another treble at Ascot which began aboard So Regal (John and Thady Gosden) in the British EBF October Stakes. The 11/10 favourite moved smoothly into contention in the listed contest, led under two furlongs from home and, despite edging left in front, kept on to beat American Gal (Ralph Beckett/Lewis Edmunds) by a length and a quarter. Secret History (Ed Walker/George Downing) was the same distance back in third.
The Listed Rous Stakes produced the tightest finish of the afternoon. Air Force One (Geoff Oldroyd/P J McDonald), sent off at 17/2, challenged the trailblazing Regional (Ed Bethell/Clifford Lee) throughout the final furlong and led on the line by a short head.
Favourite Tuco Salamanca (Ollie Sangster/Billy Loughnane) was another length away in third. The winner has shown himself a very useful handicapper in recent times and was gaining a first blacktype success.
The card ended, as it began, with Billy Loughnane advertising his skills in the saddle, and he completed a treble on the day when Michael Bell’s Gold Star Hero took the concluding five-furlong handicap at odds of 7/2.
KEVIN Coleman has done very well with his runners in Britain in recent years, and he improved that record further when 10/3 chance Rosiliane (Shane Gray), took a novice at Southwell on Tuesday in the colours of Tim Halley.
The daughter of Minzaal was second in a barrier trial at Leopardstown in August, before showing up well in maidens at Down Royal and Naas. Her win was Coleman’s 14th in Great Britain from just 45 runners since 2022.