Newbury Saturday
Boylesports Lockinge Stakes (Group 1)
THE feature of Saturday’s racing in the UK was the Group 1 Boylesports Lockinge Stakes over the straight mile and the race produced a winner out of the top drawer as former 2000 Guineas winner Notable Speech (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) returned to his best to gain a fifth Group 1 success in a storied career.
Successful last year in the Woodbine Mile and the Breeders’ Cup Mile, the five-year-old entire made his return in the Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland but met trouble in running on several occasions when a close fourth to Zulu Kingdom and built on the promise of that comeback to look every bit the superstar he is as he justified strong market support that saw him sent off the 2/1 favourite.
Notable Speech travelled well held up off the pace set by Mississippi River and Buick’s only moment of concern was when not enjoying a clear run around the two-furlong marker, but he was soon in the clear and quickened decisively inside the final furlong to win by two lengths from More Thunder (William Haggas/Tom Marquand), who came from further back and was closest at the finish.
Zeus Olympios (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee) lost his unbeaten record but ran up to his best to be third, another three-quarters of a length away having hit the front briefly at the furlong pole.
“He’s got some turn of foot,” said Appleby. “We were stood there watching thinking: ‘I’m happy, as not many horses can quicken like he can’ and if it turned into a burn up in the last couple of furlongs then William is on the right horse.
“William knows him and has confidence in him, and I have confidence in both of them. I always say to William you will either be a hero or a villain and sit and sit and when you want to go, sit again, and then at the last moment let him off.
“The team at home have done a great job, Colm O’Donoghue rides him and told me he’s in the form of his life and he was right. I’m delighted for the horse as that’s a stallion making win for him.
“He will go on from here to the Queen Anne. We were unlucky in the Queen Anne last year and to be fair we’ve learned about this horse, and I think knowing what we know now, we would have gone very close in the Queen Anne last year.
“Naturally he’s going to go straight there now. We’ll take Opera Ballo as well and it will be a big race for us, but I go there with Notable Speech more relaxed now that he has done that. All I wanted him to do was win another Group 1 in Europe and he’s done that now.”
Kalpana warms up for Royal Ascot
KALPANA (Andrew Balding/Colin Keane) began her five-year-old campaign in perfect fashion when landing the Group 3 Sky Sports Racing Aston Park Stakes at odds of 11/10. The daughter of Study Of Man had a Group 1 penalty to carry against the boys on her first run of the season, making her look a little vulnerable, but she knuckled down well to get the better of the game West Wind Blows (Simon & Ed Crisford/William Buick) by a neck.
The pair dominated the closing stages, pulling 11 lengths clear of eventual third Arabian Force (William Haggas/Tom Marquand). The runner-up dictated terms under a wily Buick ride but there were no chinks in Kalpana’s armour and when Colin Keane asked her to move into a challenging position on the home turn, she did so smoothly and looked certain to win with authority when tackling West Wind Blows two furlongs out. The runner-up, he did not lie down and reduced the gap inside the last furlong as Kalpana showed some signs of tiredness.
Keane said: “She’s such a big girl, she was looking for the line there but she’s a class filly. She’s a bigger version again and hopefully she’s one to look forward to this season. I’d say she’ll have a similar sort of campaign to last year.”
Balding confirmed as much, adding: “The fitness was telling a bit in the last half-a-furlong, but it looks like she has still got the appetite for it, and the desire, which is the most important thing when you very sportingly keep horses in training as five-year-olds.
“Twelve months ago, we were taking on the colts in a Group 1 in Ireland, and it was a tough ask, whereas this was calmer waters. She was entitled to win the race on ratings, but you never know first time out while she is carrying a bit of extra condition, and she hasn’t run for a good while, so we are thrilled.
“I think the Fillies & Mares will be the big plan for Kalpana. We tried the Arc last year, and it didn’t work out, but I don’t think any horse has won three consecutive races on Champions Day, so that would be a nice target. The next stop would be Royal Ascot. Both the Prince of Wales’s and Hardwicke will be available, and we’ll decide nearer the time. If the ground were very soft, it might make the Prince of Wales’s more attractive.”
Rest of the card
THE Newbury card also featured a pair of listed contests and a classy three-year-old handicap in the shape of the London Gold Cup.
The Childwickbury Stud Fillies’ Trial Stakes was won by Esna (Brian Meehan/Ryan Moore) in the familiar purple-and-white colours of owner Martin Hughes.
The daughter of Starman has a mixed pedigree in terms of stamina but showed a good attitude to fight back after being headed to get the better of Sacred Ground (John & Thady Gosden/William Buick) by half a length.
13/2 chance Esna – who could now head to Chantilly for the Prix de Diane – was a first winner of the season for Meehan, who said: “We’re not a big operation and you have to take each horse each day. They have all been running consistently, like this filly did at Newmarket, and she looks very progressive.
“It’s a relief to get off the mark and you’re always as good as your last year. You like to think a winner is inevitable, but it’s nice to do it with a filly like her.”
Cox strikes the right chord
The Carnarvon Stakes, sponsored by Highclere Castle Gin, went the way of the progressive Song Of The Clyde (Clive Cox/Hector Crouch), who produced an 18/1 surprise when making all and staying on powerfully to beat warm favourite Albert Einstein (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) by a neck.
Cox, in bullish mood, said of the Commonwealth Cup-bound winner: “I don’t see why we wouldn’t roll the dice with Royal Ascot. Song Of The Clyde has got every reason he should be there and I’d be disappointed if he wasn’t.”
The London Gold Cup often throws up a group-class winner and the latest renewal was won by the Jack Ramsden-owned and David Menuisier-trained Lost Boys (Jason Watson) who was backed into 10/3 favouritism and got the better of a good tussle with market rival Sahara King (Richard Hannon/Sean Levey) to win by a head.
It would be no surprise if he were next seen at Royal Ascot, although an amended BHA rating of 96 means it will probably be in handicap company before Menuisier can make plans for gaining blacktype.
Elliott wins in Wales
The summer jumps season is in full flow and it’s a rare week that passes without a runner or two for Gordon Elliott, so it’s something of a change of tack to note that Elliott struck twice on Thursday evening at Chepstow’s flat fixture, with 11/8 favourite Boston Max (Billy Loughnane) sharing the spoils in the five-furlong handicap before Battle Of Maldon (Saffie Osborne) got home by a neck in the three-year-old maiden, rewarding punters at odds of 9/2.