ANDREW Balding landed an across-the-card group race double on Friday as Blue Bolt (Colin Keane) beat Precise (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) by two lengths in the Group 1 Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.

Despite a small field of seven runners, the field split into two groups and it was the quartet who raced up the centre who were seen to best effect and provided the first three home. That group was taken along by Precise’s pacemaker Venosa, but the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes heroine loomed up and took over with two furlongs left before galloping on for a decisive win at an SP of 85/40.

Irish Guineas and Coronation Stakes winner Precise flattered briefly, but it was the four-year-old Blue Bolt who showed the better turn of foot, with her tendency to drift towards the far rail probably not doing her any harm in the circumstances. Balantina (Donnacha O’Brien/Oisin Murphy) was a three-and-a-half-length fifth to Precise in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and finished third here, albeit slightly closer to Precise, which suggests that the younger fillies ran to form despite the favourite being turned over at skinny odds.

The winning trainer said: “She is quality. She looked good at Ascot, but it was great to see her do it today in that style. She was just getting a little lonely at the end, but she has just got that amazing cruising speed and that ability to sustain. She is exceptional.

“Colin has absolutely mastered her. Bar her debut at Southwell, which seems a long time ago, she has never put a foot wrong on the racecourse. I’m just thrilled to have her.”

Senorita sizzles

In a test of Royal Ascot form, Queen Mary runner-up Senorita Bonita (Simon & Ed Crisford/Oisin Murphy) quickened smartly to beat Albany Stakes winner Libertango by three-parts of a length to claim the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes. Alwaysanangel (Joseph O’Brien/Dylan Browne McMonagle) showed improved form to finish a good third, beaten just a short-head by the runner-up having come from the rear.

The daughter of Starspangledbanner was ridden with more restraint here than at Ascot and tended to race quite keenly, but Murphy managed to keep a lid on her exuberance and when he asked her to challenge a furlong and a half out, the response was impressive, and she quickened up the centre of the track to run down the positively ridden runner-up who bagged the far rail.

“You never like to see them travelling stronger than you want,” said Ed Crisford in the aftermath of the race. “But to be fair she switched off pretty quickly and it didn’t take long before she dropped her head. After Royal Ascot we felt that she wanted six furlongs and we weren’t really worried about it.

“I would say we would go for the Prix Morny next. She has a penalty in Group 2’s now, and she showed today that she is a very good filly. I think we will go to Deauville then on to the Cheveley Park.”

Newmarket Thursday

Rebel’s Romance still has the fire

Princess Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 2)

REBEL’S Romance (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) proved that age has done little to blunt his appetite for competition when landing the Group 2 Princess Of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday, giving Godolphin a one-two in the mile-and-a-half feature.

The 8/11 favourite was returning to British action after a light first half of the season and, though made to work by stablemate Arabian Crown (James Doyle), he found enough to score by half a length, with Almeric (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) a further three and a quarter lengths away in third.

Arabian Crown ensured the race was run at an honest clip, taking the field along and quickening again four furlongs out, while Rebel’s Romance was kept within striking distance by Buick before being asked to close approaching the final quarter-mile.

The eight-year-old took over just over a furlong from home and, despite Arabian Crown rallying bravely, he was always doing enough near the line.

“He’s like a pet,” said the winning trainer with more than a hint of fondness.

“He’s done it again and he just refuses to wilt when they come to him.

“William said he was always holding Arabian Crown, and he’s a horse who has been a great servant to the yard.

“We’ll see how he comes out of this, but the Breeders’ Cup will be in the back of our minds again.”

July Stakes

Inner City Blues (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) justified 5/6 favouritism in a three-runner Group 2 Kingdom Of Bahrain July Stakes, giving his trainer a strong start to a meeting he traditionally does well at, and showing himself to be a colt of considerable potential.

The other pair took each other on in front, and once Inner City Blues was brought to the outer of that pair a furlong out, he picked up best of all to beat Adaay Of Scarlett (Hugo Palmer/Oisin Murphy) and Hickory Lad (Phillip Makin/Sam James) by a length and a quarter and a length and a half.

Appleby said: “He’s a colt we’ve always liked and he’s done everything the right way.

“William was keen to educate him and he picked up well when he asked him. We’ll look at the usual two-year-old races now and let him tell us how far he wants to go.” Law stays best

Law for Leger?

Point Of Law (John & Thady Gosden/James Doyle) took the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy over a mile and five furlongs at Newmarket on Thursday, providing the Royal silks a notable staying success in the opening race of the July Festival.

Sent off at 5/2, he had shaped with promise when splitting Del Maro and Galiyan in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot and took another step forward here, seeing out the trip strongly to confirm form with Galiyan (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy), beating him by a length, with Del Maro (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) third, as he had been in the Queen’s Vase.

Last year’s Bahrain Trophy winner Scandinavia went on to take the Goodwood Cup and St Leger later in the year, and Point Of Law remains unexposed as a stayer, so the St Leger is an obvious target for him.

It’s almost 50 years since Dunfermline carried Queen Elizabeth II’s colours to victory in the final classic at Doncaster in what was her coronation year, so it would be fitting to see Point Of Law follow in her footsteps.

John Gosden said: “He’s a progressive horse and he stayed on well. He was a little unlucky at Royal Ascot, but James gave him a lovely ride today and he saw the trip out properly. He would have no problem with the St Leger, although we’ll discuss it with the King and Queen before making any firm plans.”

York Friday

Flora blossoms again

SHE was unable to do herself justice in the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, but a drop in class saw Flora Of Bermuda (Andrew Balding/James Doyle) get back to winning ways as the 3/1 second-favourite landed York’s Friday feature, the Group 3 Summer Stakes, by a neck from First Instinct (William Haggas/Cieren Fallon). Soul Love (Karl Burke/Pierre-Louis Jamin) finished third, with favourite Spicy Marg failing to fire.

Held up from the lowest draw as American Queen set a brisk pace, Flora Of Bermuda was produced to lead two furlongs out and despite not doing much in front, she kept on well to comfortably withhold the late challenge of the runner-up.

She had quite a nasty experience in the ‘Jubilee’ at Ascot where she was effectively pulled up when the bit slipped through her mouth having also got upset in the stalls but showed she’s a tough customer by bouncing straight back to her best here.

Asked about future targets, Marquand said: “She can go seven and there are options up in trip at Glorious Goodwood so we’ll sit down and plot that path. Andrew likes the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes so that could be an option too but her next step will definitely be Goodwood, in which race I don’t know.”