Kevin’s fantastic season got even better on Saturday when he saddled a remarkable 1-2 in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes.
Having already saddled two Royal Ascot winners, won the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York and the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes 2013 was already proving an amazing year for Kevin but the winners of the latter two races worked together to give Kevin perhaps his best ever moment by finishing first and second in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.
Astaire passed the post narrowly in front of stablemate Hot Streak , with the pair clear of their toiling rivals.
The amazing result further Kevin’s quite incredible record of achieving top results on a relative shoe string budget for his owners. Read more...
Cesarewitch success for Scatter Dice
The Cesarewitch has the biggest field for any race in the UK (bar the Grand National) and despite blowing it at the start, Scatter Dice kept finding more to take the prestigious handicap at Newmarket. The filly was left behind at the gate and gave the field 10l before deciding to go with the field and take her chance. Sent off a 66-1 shot, she was held up after rejoining the field and stayed on remarkably well to win under a beaming Silvestre De Sousa for Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed. It was a truly astonishing performance from a horse unconsidered by many to even stay the distance! Congratulations to all concerned in this fantastic success! Read more...
Bold Lass impresses on debut
Bold Lass showed an impressive turn of foot to land the British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Maiden at Leicester on Tuesday. Sat mid-division by jockey Ted Durcan, Bold Lass was shaken up with a furlong to go and quickened up nicely to swallow up her rivals in the closing stages and notch the win by a length over 5/2 favourite Amaseena.
Ted Durcan said following the race, "We've always liked her so it wasn't that much of a surprise, although it's always a worry how a horse will take its debut. David [Lanigan] likes to bring them along slowly, so that was encouraging and she has a lovely attitude."
Bold Lass was bred by her owner Mr. Bjorn Nielsen. She is by first-season sire Sea The Stars out of the G1-placed, Listed winner My Branch. She is a half-sister to six winners including Champion Tante Rose and Listed winner Bay Tree. Read more...
Ted Durcan said following the race, "We've always liked her so it wasn't that much of a surprise, although it's always a worry how a horse will take its debut. David [Lanigan] likes to bring them along slowly, so that was encouraging and she has a lovely attitude."
Bold Lass was bred by her owner Mr. Bjorn Nielsen. She is by first-season sire Sea The Stars out of the G1-placed, Listed winner My Branch. She is a half-sister to six winners including Champion Tante Rose and Listed winner Bay Tree. Read more...
Aidan O'Brien is getting too close for comfort
Only crumbs came our way on Future Champions Day at Newmarket yesterday, and we could have done without War Command winning the Dewhurst as Aidan O'Brien is getting too close for comfort in the championship race. It will all be decided at Ascot on Saturday.
However, Richard Hannon was pleased to pick up some valuable place money with Anjaal and Truth or Dare - "the rain scuppered Anjaal's chance, but he will win good races next year when he gets a mile on fast ground", said the boss - and, hopefully, we can also nick a few quid at Goodwood today and both Salisbury and Windsor tomorrow.
Looking ahead to Salisbury, the boss said: "Magic City runs in the feature, and they are talking of a further 10mm of rain falling before first-race time, so the ground could well be soft, which would suit him. He ran well in a very competitive handicap at Ascot last time and comes out the second highest rated horse in this race. We won it last year with Shamaal Nibras, who is now on the other side of the net (he has since joined Ismail Mohammed), so, hopefully, we can win it again."