NEWMARKET THURSDAY

GODOLPHIN and Charlie Appleby were unstoppable this week and the trainer took his tally to five as Masar ran out a very convincing winner of the Group 3 bet365 Craven Stakes.

In leaving his field for dead, he had 8/13 Roaring Lion back in third and the latter’s classic pretensions must surely be in doubt.

Masar, a son on New Approach, had a mixed record as a juvenile and made no show on dirt at Meydan last month. However, he was very fit indeed and William Buick went straight to the front in a six-runner contest.

Soon after half-way he raised the tempo and Masar surged clear, keeping as straight as a gun barrel against the far rails and finally pulling nine lengths clear of White Mocha as John Gosden’s Roaring Lion surrendered second close home.

“I had to give him a run in Dubai because he was almost too well, too full of himself,” Appleby said. “Had he won there, we’d have gone for the UAE Derby but he didn’t like the surface. The Guineas will be in our sights now; we thought we’d be either first of second today and I’m delighted.”

Buick has also had a successful week and rode another intelligent race.

“He was always going to be a better at three than two and he’s been showing flashes of brilliance at home,” the jockey said. “The surface at Meydan was unknown to him and I had to get him out of his comfort zone too early. He’s a grass horse, simple as that, and I think he’ll stay further.”

Ladbrokes briefly went 12/1 about Masar for the 2,000 but it was taken and 8/1 was the going rate by close of play. Oisin Murphy thought Roaring Lion needed the run and a longer trip but it is hard to see how he can improve enough in a fortnight to play a leading part in the Guineas.

BRANDO AGAIN

Like his illustrious namesake, Kevin Ryan’s Brando may have his off days but people forgive anything where top-class performers are concerned. The six-year-old, fresh from a wind operation, ran out a clear-cut winner of the Group 3 Connaught Access Flooring Abernant Stakes for the second year in a row, coming home three-quarters of a length ahead of Sir Dancealot, with Projection just holding third.

The big disappointment of the race was Andre Fabre’s warm favourite Le Brivido, who never threatened at any stage.

Projection took then along at a fair clip with the old warrior Gordon Lord Byron (fifth) showing up for a long way. However, as that group moved towards the centre, Brando and Sir Dancealot challenged towards the stands’ side and fought out the finish. Brando saw it out the better, the main surprise being his generous SP of 9/2.

“He was very impressive,” said winning jockey Tom Eaves. “He’s had to get over a floating chip on his hip. It was similar to last year but he appreciated better ground. Kevin thought at the end of last season that a wind operation might help. I’m a very lucky lad to be riding him.”

“He was going to Dubai but wasn’t ready,” Ryan added. “Then over the last 10 days he’s really come to himself. I suppose we’ll try York again.”

That will be for the Duke Of York Stakes, where Brando made no show last year. His occasional poor efforts remain a mystery but in this week’s form he is a sprinter to be reckoned with and the Diamond Jubilee at Ascot will also be on the list.

For the second time in 24 hours the only filly in the field beat the colts in the opening bet365.com Handicap over six furlongs.

This was Richard Fahey’s Maybride, a daughter of his top-class sprinter Mayson, who led soon after half-way for Oisin Murphy and cleared right away from Galloway Hills and Desert Doctor.

A winner at Leicester late last term, Maybride (6/1) is a Cheveley Park filly. She has grown appreciably over the winter and showed markedly improved form here, proving much too good for a field including the gambled-on Dragons Tail and the ominously easy to back Music Society, both well adrift in the closing stages.

WOOD DITTON

The famous old Wood Ditton Maiden Stakes for unraced three-year-olds went to Sawwaah, trained by Own Burrows and ridden by Dane O’Neill. Not many horses owned by Sheikh Hamdan start at 25/1 but first jockey Jim Crowley was riding elsewhere and the ring took little notice of the son of New Approach.

He actually won quite impressively, edging towards the stands’ rails in a 19-runner field and quickening clear, beating another 25/1 chance in Rock Force, with Cogital third.

Four of them stayed towards the far side, where Ryan Moore made the running on Dragon Moon, but they were left well behind in the end. The value of the form is notoriously hard to assess but Sawwaah would probably beat these again and looks well above average.

The market proved spot-on when Roger Varian’s Sheikha Reika, 5/4 favourite, came well clear of a spread-eagled in the three-year-old maiden fillies’ stakes. She was second on all three outings last year.

Appleby and Buick completed a double with Nordic Lights in division one of the mile and a half novice race. Star Of Southwold took division two for Richard Hannon and Sean Leavy.