Doncaster Saturday:
Lincoln Handicap
MIGRATION showed his class to carry top-weight to victory in Saturday’s Pertemps Network Lincoln, giving Benoit de la Sayette his second win in the race from as many rides, and justifying the patience of trainer David Menuisier, who has been limited in where he could run the seven-year-old due to his need for ground softer than good.
The 18/1 chance weaved through near the stands rail to provide connections with an emotional victory in the season’s first big handicap.
With a furlong to run, the gambled on pair Awaal (Simon and Ed Crisford/James Doyle) and Baradar (George Boughey/Kevin Stott) might have had the race between them, but De La Sayette was riding coolly, and produced Migration from off the pace to score comfortably by a length and a quarter from Awaal, with Baradar beaten a total of three lengths into third having travelled best until tiring late.
The winning rider has seen the highs and lows of a jockey’s life in his short career already but was crowned champion apprentice last year on his return from a lengthy drug ban, and was seen at his stylish best in a compelling contest.
“He’s a horse that likes to come from off the pace,” said de la Sayette of Migration. “He came from off the pace in the Balmoral on Champions Day but I could never find the gaps. He finished off that race really strong, so we thought we’d try the same tactics today.
“The Lincoln is the Lincoln and it is very hard to find the gaps, so I’m very happy I found them at the right time. He really ran on in the last furlong and hit the line strong. Last year went so well for me and to win this again, two years after winning on Haqeeqy right at the start of my career, is a fairytale.”
Menuisier is again prepared to be patient, but admits that he will have to find opportunities in blacktype races with handicaps now all-but ruled out.
“He’s been giving us the right signals all the way through so we were actually quite confident,” said the Pulborough handler. “We’ll have to go into pattern races now – hopefully he can handle it. He’s already made his money for this year and next – it’s a great way to start the season.”
‘Doddie’ remembered amid the tears of joy
BILLY Loughnane made his first ride on turf a winning one as he took the Pertemps Network EBF Brocklesby Stakes – the opening race of the flat season – on Doddie’s Impact at Doncaster last Saturday.
Trained by Robyn Brisland, the 10/1 winner ran green, but knuckled down well to get the better of well-backed favourite Valadero (Dominic Ffrench Davis/Kevin Stott) by a neck after the runner-up had appeared to steal a decisive advantage, only to idle in front.
The son of Pearl Secret is named after Scottish Rugby legend Doddie Weir, who fought bravely against Motor Neurone Disease until his death in November.
Weir did a great deal through his My Name’s Doddie Foundation to raise both awareness and funding for MND research, and the owners of Doddie’s Impact are donating 50% of all prize money earned by their runners to the foundation.
Cammidge Trophy
The Charlie Fellowes-trained Vadream was arguably disappointing in 2022, but she bounced back to her best to register a 9/1 success in the Listed Pertemps Network Cammidge Trophy, coping well with the sodden ground, and seeming to benefit from a more aggressive ride as she beat her rivals by upwards of four and a half lengths.
Vadream was handy from the outset under Kieran Shoemark, who sent her on at halfway, and she never looked like being pegged back once her rider committed.
Fast Response (Karl Burke/Sam James) couldn’t live with the winner, but she stayed on best of the rest for second, with Ehraz (Richard Hannon/Jim Crowley) doing best of those held up in third, three-quarters of a length behind the runner-up.
The winner will be turned out for the All-Weather Finals card at Newcastle on Good Friday, with the Duke of York Stakes her next aim, assuming there is ease underfoot, with Charlie Fellowes at pains to point out that the ground is key with her:
“We ran her on ground that was too quick last season,” said the trainer. “We won’t be doing that again but what we did learn last year was that she always improves with racing, so we gave her three runs on the all-weather before coming here. She loves soft ground and loves six furlongs and has always threatened to do something like that.
Doncaster Mile
Pam Sly has never been afraid of going up against the big guns with her predominantly homebred horses and gained more black type when Astral Beau (Rob Hornby) ravaged her rivals in the Listed Pertemps Network Doncaster Mile.
A 9/1 shot in a race weakened by the defection of the overnight favourite, Astral Beau, she looked anything but an outsider when looming up at the quarter-mile pole before powering through the ground to register a four-length victory over Brunch (Michael Dods/Connor Beasley). A granddaughter of Sly’s 1000 Guineas heroine Speciosa, she is owned by the Sly family and is continuing a remarkable tradition for the Thorney-based owner/trainer/breeder.
Astral Beau has been progressive on soft ground, winning twice at Newmarket in the second half of 2022, and Sly spoke after this race saying that she believes the 4-y-o filly has improved again this year, although there are no immediate plans for her.
Foxes lands a canny win
THE feature race at Kempton’s all-weather fixture last Saturday was the Listed Magnolia Stakes, which went to 5/2 market leader Foxes Tales (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy).
The winner drew a blank last year, but benefitted from a run in the Winter Derby at Lingfield and ended a losing run in decisive fashion, beating outsider Rogue Millennium (Tom Clover/Jack Mitchell) by three lengths. Enthusiasm for the form is tempered by poor runs from Belloccio and Tyrrhenian Sea, with the latter reported to have bled.
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