Newmarket Saturday
IT’S turning into a real annus mirabilis for Godolphin’s main trainer Charlie Appleby, and he annexed Newmarket’s big prize of the weekend when taking the Group 3 Criterion Stakes with Glorious Journey (James Doyle), the 9/2 chance proving too strong in the finish for Motakhayyel (Richard Hannon/Dane O’Neill) and Duke Of Hazzard (Paul & Oliver Cole/Shane Kelly).
The six-year-old gelding – who sported the familiar maroon and white colours now registered to Sheikh Mohammed’s daughter Sheikha Al Jalila – won by a length and half a length.
Glorious Journey had finished third to Kinross in the John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock last time, and took advantage of that rival’s late defection to get back to winning ways, proving that he retains pretty much all of his ability in the process.
The winner has proven a solid and reliable performer at around this level, and that is summed up by a record of six wins from 20 starts at pattern level, and his consistency was praised by Doyle after the race.
“He is solid year in year out and he keeps producing performances like that. He is quite versatile. He has won on pretty quick ground there and won with plenty of ease. We’ve tried Group 1s before, but we are pretty realistic with him, and he punches away solidly at Group 3 level.”
There was plenty of winning form on offer in the Listed Empress Stakes, but it was 22/1 shot System (Richard Hannon/Pat Dobbs) who took the prize having been beaten on her debut at Salisbury.
In truth, she showed plenty to go down narrowly to a promising colt on that first appearance, and connections were justified in rolling the medium-sized dice with her here, as she gained valuable blacktype in holding the strong finish of dual course winner Desert Dreamer.
She raced on the right part of the track, and the runner-up didn’t get the rub of the green, but the winner ought to progress further and is certainly worth a try in group company. This was a second listed win for sire Galileo Gold after National Stakes winner Ebro River.
Fred Archer
The 2019 St Leger winner, Logician, was favoured on his drop to listed company for the Fred Archer Stakes, but the five-year-old has had his problems, almost succumbing to peritonitis after his classic success, and the high hopes once entertained for him look beyond him now.
He struggled valiantly here, but could not come to terms with the Archie Watson-trained Outbox (Hollie Doyle), who held on by a comfortable length at the line to reward supporters at an SP of 6/1 having been twice that price when the market opened.
Logician has earned his place on the stallion roster at Juddmonte, so it will be interesting to see whether connections continue to persevere with him or decide that retirement is a kinder option.
WINDSOR also hosted a listed contest at the weekend, with Century Dream (Simon & Ed Crisford/Kieran Shoemark) defying a drift in the market to 16/5 to get the better of favourite Top Rank, from whom he was receiving 5lb in the Midsummer Stakes.
This was strong form for the grade with the winner beaten a nose in the Group 3 Diomed Stakes last time, and the slightly unlucky loser bouncing back after his mid-field effort in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot.
Irish stables have enjoyed a degree of success on British soil over the last few days, with Stuart Crawford’s Bellaney Gem (6/4) winning the opening novice hurdle at Cartmel on Sunday, and Sneezy Foster’s Calagogo (4/7) also justifying favouritism in the maiden hurdle which kicked off proceedings at Perth on Thursday.