Ascot Saturday

THE Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes looked there for the taking for Hamish (William Haggas/Pat Dobbs) after his excellent second to Kyprios in the Irish St Leger, and he gave those who backed him into 11/10 very few anxious moments as he led a furlong out having raced handily.

Although Cresta (Freddie & Martyn Meade/David Probert) weaved through late to throw down a challenge inside the final furlong, the winner found an extra gear to win by a comfortable length and a quarter.

The winner’s stablemate Candleford (Stevie Donohoe) was slowly away but stayed on to take third, a neck behind Cresta.

High Definition flattered earlier in the season to give hope that he would belatedly build on his juvenile promise, but a seventh-place finish here seems to have finally put the lid on that particular project.

Rohaan rules

Rohaan (Dave Evans/Adam Kirby) seems to relish the six-furlong trip at Ascot, and he took his tally to four wins from five runs over course and distance – his only defeat coming in the British Champions Sprint last October – when landing the Group 3 Bengough Stakes in typical style, quickening into the lead just over a furlong out having been held up early.

The well-supported 3/1 favourite had Summerghand (David O’Meara/Danny Tudhope) behind when winning the Wokingham for the second successive year in June, and that doughty performer again raised his game to get closest here, with a length and a half between them at the line.

Like Rohaan, Commanche Falls has won big sprint handicaps back-to-back, and the dual Stewards’ Cup hero was just touched off for second in a race where all three of those who filled the frame have been campaigned openly and regularly under big weights in handicaps.

It’s easy to criticise the sprinting division in that the line separating good handicappers and group horses is so blurred as to make them indistinguishable, but if that is the division’s weakness, it is also its strength, and the principals here are justifiably among the most popular horses in training.

Manaccan continues rise

I mentioned that Manaccan (John Ryan/Stevie Donohoe) could develop into a top-class sprinter next season when he was runner-up in the World Trophy at Newbury, and he did nothing to dispel that notion when going one place better down to listed class in the Rous Stakes.

The 4/1 joint favourite again had to weave through the field, but the gaps came when he needed them here, and he swooped to lead inside the last furlong as the leaders began to falter, holding of the late challenge of Ainsdale (Julie Camacho/Barry McHugh) to win by three-parts of a length, with Method (Freddie & Martyn Meade/Andrea Atzeni) a nose away in third having come from further back after starting slowly.

There was just a length and a half covering the first five home, but the winner has established himself as a reliable performer since dropped to five furlongs and fitted with a tongue-tie.

He didn’t need to improve to take this contest but remains open to progress with another winter on his back and is sure to give John Ryan plenty of fun in 2023.

Redcar Saturday

ON Redcar’s big day of the year, Gimcrack third Cold Case (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee) proved the star of the show by winning the William Hill Two-Year-Old Trophy, powering away to land the listed contest by two and a quarter lengths from old rival Holguin (Andrew Balding/Joshua Bryan), who was third to the winner in the Weatherby’s Scientific £300,000 2-y-o sales race at Doncaster.

That race has also thrown up Goffs Million winner Galeron and is clearly working out extremely well.

Cold Case edge right towards the centre of the track as he asserted, but continued to pull away, and he looks an excellent prospect with seven furlongs sure to prove within his compass.

Barefoot Angel is another fine prospect to come from the race, but the decision to cross over from her wide draw backfired as she found herself behind a wall of horses and only made ground when pulled wide again, doing all her best work late.