Newmarket Sunday

Qipco 1000 Guineas (Group 1)

JAMES Doyle spoke on Saturday of his frustration at having failed to ride a classic winner at Newmarket despite near misses on Kingsman and Barney Roy, and it seems apt that he should go so quickly from being Newmarket’s nearly man to entering the record books as one of only a handful of jockeys to have won both 2000 and 1000 Guineas in the same season.

In contrast to his waiting ride the day before, Doyle was immediately at the head of affairs on Nell Gwyn winner Cachet (George Boughey), who was drawn favourably in stall three, and she impressed with how she coped with the dip, before hanging on grimly from the fast finish of Prosperous Voyage (Ralph Beckett/Rob Hornby), who was closing fast at the line, but failed by a diminishing neck, with Tuesday (Aidan O’Brien/Frankie Dettori) beaten a total of two lengths into third having held every chance. Her stablemate Tenebrism was disappointing, seeming not to stay, but beaten before stamina really came into play.

Bright future

The winner was returned at 16/1 and deserves credit for holding on when looking vulnerable late, but Doyle was excellent in maximising her chances, and the feeling is that several of those behind her will rate higher in time. That won’t worry Boughey who has trained a classic winner at the young age of 30 and appears to have a very bright future ahead of him.

Prosperous Voyage is clearly very exciting, while neither Zellie nor Sandrine were well placed from higher draws, and the pair did enough in finishing well for fourth and fifth to think that they might well be worth following at this level of competition, with both capable of better over slightly further.

Boughey was in jubilant mood as he spoke to the assembled press: “It was a long final furlong, but it was a peach of a ride from James. She eyed up every blade of grass, she loves it here.

“They were closing late, but there were some very good fillies in behind her. Ralph Beckett’s filly stood out for me and she’s obviously very good, but I’m delighted she held on.

“I couldn’t have imagined I’d be winning a classic so soon in my career. To get a filly like her is a privilege. It’s great to have Highclere on board, they have six with me now and it’s massive to pay them back, it’s very special.

“It was just a question of whether she stayed or not. I hoped she’d stay and she’s very tough. There’s not much of her, but she’s very tough and she’s very straightforward. She’s been a model of consistency all the way through and has gone from strength to strength.”

Dreamloper to

target Nassau

ED Walker had a few reasons to be cheerful when 4/1 shot Dreamloper (Kieran Shoemark) landed the Group 2 Dahlia Stakes and continued her gradual progress up the ranks on her first try beyond a mile.

She got the better of a protracted battle with runner-up Ville De Grace (Sir Michael Stoute/Ryan Moore), with favourite Ebaiyra (Francis-Henry Graffard/Christophe Soumillon) finishing best to force a three-way photo. They finished in that order, with just a nose and a short head separating the trio at the line.

Dreamloper proved very game under pressure, and had to survive the runner-up leaning into her in the closing stages, but the impression was that Soumillon misjudged his challenge on the third, who was held up and given plenty to do for a mare who has shown her best form over a mile and a half.

She did well to get so close given she didn’t handle the dip too well, and it’s hard to escape the notion that she ought to have won. That won’t bother Walker, however, and while Dreamloper won the Group 3 Valiant Stakes last season, this Group 2 success rates a career milestone.

Bred by Olivia Hoare out of her 12-furlong listed winner Livia’s Dream, Dreamloper is bred to stay well beyond a mile, but has been keen in the past. Walker is now keen to step her up further in trip, saying: “In the Sun Chariot, Dreamloper was doing nothing but closing which really surprised me. I trained Livia’s Dream and she won a listed race over a mile and a half; Lope De Vega was a French Derby winner.

“It was only as she was so keen that we couldn’t get her to see out the distances that we want and bred her for. The Nassau, over an easy 10 furlongs at Goodwood, is the race for her.”

With The Moonlight (Will Buick) took the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes to continue Charlie Appleby’s excellent weekend, and the daughter of Frankel stood out in both the paddock and the race, winning by four and three-quarter lengths after having been asked to stretch when she hitting the front three furlongs from home.

A big filly, she appeals as a potential Oaks type, although her dam, Sand Vixen was best at five furlongs, and With The Moonlight’s full-brother Dream Castle showed his best form at trips short of 10 furlongs.