Newmarket Friday

THE Friday feature, the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes, saw a clash between Zanthos (Simon and Ed Crisford) and her Leicester conqueror Touleen, and it was the former who enhanced her reputation as she blitzed her rivals in the early stages before hanging on for a half-length win over The Prettiest Star (Ed Walker/Kieran Shoemark), with the pair three lengths clear of Moon Target (Sir Mark Prescott/Luke Morris).

A €1 million breeze-up buy, Zanthos impressed when winning on the July course on debut but was turned over by Touleen at Leicester this month, with the pair both penalised in novice company.

Zanthos drifted to an SP of 15/2 in the face of support for Touleen, who threatened a furlong out but didn’t really handle the track in fading out of the places up the final climb.

Drawn widest in stall 10, Zanthos and Murphy ploughed a lone furrow on the rail and soon had their rivals in trouble. As Touleen changed her legs and drifted back off the rail, it was left to The Prettiest Star to make the final bid to claw the winner back, but to no avail.

THE Group 2 Joel Stakes saw Opera Ballo sent off at odds-on, but it was market rival Zeus Olympios (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee) who stole that one’s thunder with a resounding victory. Winner of the Group 3 Superior Mile on his first foray in pattern races, Zeus Olympios took another step forward to score by two and a quarter lengths from Opera Ballo (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) after tracking the pace set by stablemate Flight Plan. The winner took a while to settle, but was always well-placed in a steadily-run contest.

Two furlongs from home, Buick loomed up stylishly on Opera Ballo, but Lee immediately switched the strong-travelling Zeus Olympios to the stands’ side and, when he asked his mount to stretch, the answer was instant, with the 2/1 second-favourite surging past Opera Ballo inside the final furlong, and quickly putting the race beyond doubt.

Speaking to Racing TV, Burke said: “Zeus Olympios is a lovely horse, a great-natured horse who goes about his work really well and all he’s done is physically improve from month to month at home; that’s shown us exactly where we’re going next year.

“I’d imagine we’d start off in the Lockinge and that will tell us whether we’re staying at a mile or stepping up, but he’s obviously a horse with a big turn of foot.”

Princess Royal Stakes

The Group 3 Princess Royal Stakes saw jockey Billy Loughnane at his best as he allowed 4/1 shot Silent Love (Charlie Appleby) to race away from her rivals in the early stages, helping her relax, and the four-year-old was able to make all the running, finding extra when challenged in the closing stages for a neck success over Karmology (Karl Burke/Sam James), with Revoir (Ralph Beckett/Hector Crouch) close up in third.

Silent Love had won a Kempton maiden in June before gaining blacktype with victory in the Listed Chalice Stakes on the July Course in August. She probably didn’t need to improve for this first group win, having had Karmology back in third for her Chalice success, but she was unraced last year and is entitled to keep progressing as her stamina is tested.

Johnston 1-3

Charlie Johnston saddled first and third in Friday’s opener, the Listed Rosemary Stakes, with Francophone (Joe Fanning) finishing best on the stands’ side to win from Hey Boo (Jack Channon/George Bass), with Arisaig (Tom Marquand) a close third, having led briefly a furlong out.

The winner wasn’t the best away and raced off the pace, but crucially stayed near the stands’ rail, which appeared the place to be on the day, and the scopey daughter of Study Of Man lengthened well when meeting the rising ground to score by three-parts of a length and half a length over the placed pair.

Newmarket Thursday

DISTANT Storm (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) made an emphatic statement in the Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes, the headline event on day one of Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire meeting, as he outclassed six rivals with a powerful performance.

The son of Night Of Thunder had failed to settle when finishing third behind Gewan in the Acomb Stakes at York, but this time he delivered a more professional effort, prompting bookmakers to trim his odds to 14/1 for next May’s 2000 Guineas.

William Buick settled the 6/5 favourite at the rear while stablemate Catullus and Commander’s Intent dictated the early tempo. Catullus made a move three furlongs from home, but Distant Storm was always poised on the far side.

Inside the final furlong, Distant Storm surged ahead to seal the race in a few decisive strides. He crossed the line four and three-quarter lengths clear of Commander’s Intent (George Scott/James Doyle), who just held off the fast-finishing Archer Royal (John and Thady Gosden/Rab Havlin) for second. Catullus had every chance a furlong and a half out, but faded to fourth.

“It’s not the first time I’ve got one beat in the Acomb,” said Appleby ruefully. “But it was my mistake. William was keen to get a pitch on Distant Storm early on and, to do that, he asked him from the gate and the only other time I’ve seen him be keen was when he was on the lead at home.

“We were adamant today to drop him in and let the race develop in front of him and, in doing so, we’ve seen his acceleration.

“I think we’ve seen a nice horse in the making. William was impressed and, with the way this season is stacking up with two-year-olds, my initial impression is to look at the Dewhurst. If it were sound ground conditions, I’d be happy to take them on. He’s definitely up there.”

Rose Bowl

She had something to find according to the ratings and the betting, but 20/1 shot Miss Alpilles (Ed Walker/Kieran Shoemark) justified the decision to step her up in trip and class as the 20/1 outsider landed the Listed Jockey Club Rose Bowl on Thursday, beating East India Dock (James Owen/Pat Cosgrave) by three and a half lengths. The runner-up’s stablemate Lavender Hill Mob (Sean D Bowen) was third.

Winner of a mile and three-quarters Goodwood handicap from a mark of 78 on her previous outing, this was a big step up for the daughter of Sea The Stars, but she seemed to relish the extra distance and bounded clear up the hill, having raced toward the rear early on.

Some of the better-fancied runners failed to show their form here, so the form can be questioned, but Miss Alpilles is from an excellent family, with her third dam being dual Champion Stakes winner Alborada, and she’s clearly progressing well, for all that she’s left her trainer scratching his head until recently.

“When she was a two-year-old I thought she’d be our Oaks filly, but she’s been nothing but horrifically disappointing,” said a blunt Walker. “Miss Alpilles finally won at Haydock and, since then, we thought she wanted soft ground until Kieran Shoemark rode her at Ffos Las and said she hated soft. So we ran her on fast ground at Goodwood last time and here we are today. It’s extraordinary.”

THE £4.3 million Wootton Bassett colt purchased by Amo Racing at the Tatts October Book 1 Sale last season made his debut for Karl Burke at Haydock yesterday in a seven-furlong maiden.

Sent off 11/8 favourite, the colt named Poker was outpaced from two out out, found no extra inside the final furlong, and finished over four lengths behind the Roger Varian-trained winner Gaurdman in sixth place.