Bright Times Ahead after winning well at Newmarket
Newmarket Saturday review & replays
By Graham Clark
16:16 · SAT November 02, 2024
A review of the best bits from Newmarket on Saturday as Bright Times Ahead made a striking debut for Ralph Beckett and jockey Hector Crouch.
Bright times indeed...
Bright Times Ahead appears to be well named after making a striking impression on her debut in the opening division of the Dusseldorf’s 105th German 1000 Guineas British EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes at Newmarket.
The daughter of Lope De Vega, who cost 460,000 euros as a yearling, paid a small slice of that fee back when becoming the latest two year old from the Ralph Beckett team to hit the ground running in the seven furlong contest.
Always moving well in the hands of Hector Crouch the well-supported 13/8 favourite only needed to be nudged out before crossing the line three and a half lengths clear of fellow debutant Banyan.
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Crouch said: “She did it nicely. She is not overly big, but she is a lovely mover and she was always travelling nicely.
“I got her to see plenty of daylight, but she knuckled down well under hands and heels. I know the Godolphin horse (Wild Angel) had the experience, but she was only rated 76.
"The way Ralph’s two year-olds are going I quite fancied her to be capable of running to at least 76 and she proved it."
Smoken too hot to handle for in-form pair
Smoken earned Classic quotes for next year after proving too hot to handle when maintaining her unbeaten record in impressive fashion in the British EBF Montrose Fillies’ Stakes.
Having beaten the colts in testing conditions on her debut at Nottingham 17 days ago, the Beckett-trained two-year-old successfully took a step up in class in her stride back against her own sex.
Racing handily throughout the mile Listed prize the 5/6 favourite moved on into a lead she would not surrender heading into the final furlong of the mile contest.
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Although Southwell scorer Secret Of Love emerged as a late challenger the odds-on favourite looked better the further she went before eventually passing the post with a length to spare to complete doubles on the card for Beckett and winning jockey Crouch.
The successful rider said: “She has done that really nicely. I didn’t think the race was really run to suit as they went steady early doors.
“She is more of a galloping filly and she has the pedigree to stay further than this trip. She thrives on this ground, but it was a really pleasing performance and she is very straightforward.
“I imagine she will head for a trial in the spring where she will encounter good, good to soft ground and that will tell us a bit more. She has got a bit of an extravagant action and I wouldn’t want to pigeon hole her as a soft ground horse yet.
“She is a big filly and has plenty of stamina and I think she will be looking at further trips. It was a fairly strong renewal of the Montrose so hopefully she can keep climbing the ranks.”
Following the race, which was a qualifier for next year’s German Oaks, the daughter of Too Darn Hot was introduced at 33/1 for the Betfred Oaks by Paddy Power.
However, Jamie McCalmont, racing manager to part owner Marc Chan, insisted that while not nailing his colours to any mast that the Classic dream was very much alive.
McCalmont said: “She looks like an exciting prospect for next year for sure. She had an easy win last time and we thought if she came out of that race well we would try and get some black type.
“The race at Nottingham she was beating colts, and that race has had some very good winners of it in the past, so she was a short price today, but it doesn’t often work out when they are like that. "She deserved to be that short and she won like her price suggested.
“We will leave any decisions up to Ralph as he knows how to train Oaks winners better than most.
“She will need to run further than a mile next year for sure. Exactly where we go that is up to him, but we will put her away for the winter and dream now.”
It proved to be a red letter day in the saddle for Crouch who completed a treble when steering the Ed Dunlop-trained Pressure’s On (11/2) to glory by half a length in the concluding German G1 Racecourses Thank World Pool Handicap.
Poetry in motion for Burrows
Sea Poetry showed no signs of inexperience to get off the mark at the first attempt when running out a tenacious winner of division two of the seven furlong event.
Having sat in the middle of the pack for much of the race the 11/4 chance moved on past long time leader Blue Secret together with favourite Bridget’s View entering the final furlong.
Despite Bridget’s View having had the benefit of a run she had to settle for second best behind the Owen Burrows-trained daughter of Wootton Bassett, who prevailed by a neck.
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Jim Crowley, winning rider, said: "She did it nicely for her first time out, but she had been going nicely at home.
"I thought she was really tenacious there for a filly first time out when getting into a battle with a horse that already had a run. She really wanted it.
"She will be a nice filly next year as she has got a lot of growing to do. I think you will be looking at going a mile with her next year. She seemed to like that bit of cut in the ground, but it was hard work out there.”
Bolster noses out Peace Man
Bolster secured the most significant victory of his career after rounding out a successful 2024 turf campaign with victory in the German Group One Racecourses James Seymour Stakes.
Entering the race on the back of a fine weight carrying performance in a handicap at York last time out the Karl Burke-trained Invincible Spirit colt made it four wins for the campaign with a battling success on his first appearance at Listed level.
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Sitting up with the pace throughout the mile and a quarter contest the 7/4 favourite looked booked for second as eventual runner-up Peace Man, under Rab Havlin, edged into a slender lead approaching the final furlong.
However, Bolster was far from done with, and following a protracted battle, the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum-owned colt rallied back along the stands side rail before putting his head down when it mattered most to score by a nose.
Pierre-Louis Jamin, winning rider, said: “As we passed the line I said well done to Rab as I thought he won. Our lad loves this ground and he is very tough. I thought they got racing from a long way out, but he keeps going and never stops.
“To be fair when he gets challenged he does go again and on this ground he is just different class. As we lugged back to the rail he could have got intimidated, but he is tough and he puts it all in. I think this trip is perfect for him. We tried him back over a mile at Ascot in the summer, but the ground wasn’t soft enough.
“He wants soft ground and I’m pretty sure he will now be on a holiday from tonight.”
As for the runner-up, who was making just his second start of the year having finished third in the Group Three Darley Stakes at the track on his previous appearance, an all-weather campaign could now beckon.
Thady Gosden, joint trainer, said: “The winner is a very smart horse, but I think we are a tad unlucky there. He has run a very good race and we couldn’t be more pleased with him. There are races like the Churchill Stakes back on the all-weather for him.
“He is a very lightly raced horse, but we will see how he comes out of it and go from there.”
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