Ascot Saturday review and free video replays

Friendly win for Shoemark

Kieran Shoemark enjoyed a welcome big-race victory as Friendly Soul galloped on strongly from the front to land the Longines Valiant Stake.

Shoemark has had mixed fortunes since taking over as number one jockey for John and Thady Gosden, but silenced his doubters with a first Group Three triumph for the yard.

Friendly Soul was pressed by Doom entering the home straight, but responded admirably and powered clear to prevail by three lengths at 100/30. She made it three wins from four outings, with the sole blip being a disappointing effort when sent off the odds-on favourite for the Musidora Stakes at York.

John Gosden said: “She won as a two-year-old and won very well in the Listed race (Pretty Polly, at Newmarket in May) over a mile and a quarter and we were thinking Prix de Diane.

“She was drawn nine at York and when you come out of stall nine over a mile and a quarter at York the stables are on your right. She saw that and cocked her jaw. She is a strong-willed lady and she cocked her jaw the whole race, so that explains that.

“We did a lot of checking her out as well and couldn’t find anything wrong and gave her lots of time off, as she is still an immature filly, and brought her back for this. She has done it in good style.

“The break has helped and she is still relatively immature, she is the type of filly who will get better as the year goes on. Mr (George) Strawbridge bred her and he knows the family well and she will be a lovely filly next year.

“That is a stiff mile and it rises a lot and I think a mile and a quarter is her proper trip – I wouldn’t want to go a mile and a half. We planned to run her in the Prix de Diane, but that race was in June so now we will have to come up with another Baldrick plan.”

He went on: “It’s been difficult for Kieran because a lot of our horses haven’t been right. Our highest rated three-year-olds are her and Spiritual so our three-year-olds are, I’m afraid, way below what our owners would have wanted and the older horses, a lot of them didn’t click with the cold spring we’ve had, so to that extent it’s not been easy.

“I always remind people that we had a couple of winners at Ascot and they say we’ve had a terrible year and I say to them ‘what do you mean’ as we haven’t even got halfway through the year yet. As you know we’ve got the rest of the season to come and there is so much racing into late summer and autumn and if you want to you can carry on 12 months of the year. ”

Shoemark said: “John has been brilliant and offers me plenty of support. We’ve got a lot of nice horses and it’s very exciting going forward. John and Thady continue to have my back, as do all the owners, so it’s a pleasure and a privilege to ride for the team at Clarehaven and I look forward to what lies ahead.

“I think she is a progressive filly and I am glad to see her back to winning ways after her flop in the Musidora. We can put that behind us now and she hopefully has a bright future.”

Moore brings Summering to the boil

Simmering shed her maiden tag in style with a tenacious victory in the Sodexo Live! Princess Margaret Stakes.

Third in a hot novice at York first time up, she was thrown into the much hotter waters of the Albany Stakes at the Royal meeting, where only Aidan O’Brien’s exciting Fairy Godmother proved too good as she stormed home late in the day.

Sold privately to Al Shaqab Racing since then, Ollie Sangster’s filly gave her new owners an immediate return with Group Three honours.

There was a scare for backers of the 11/8 favourite when Mandurah got first run on the market leader, but once Ryan Moore got into the drive position, she finished strongly to beat Betty Clover and Tales Of The Heart by a neck and half a length.

Sangster said: “We’ll enjoy this and it was always the next step for us after the Albany. Ascot was a great day, even though we got beaten, and the filly has taken a good step forward and she has won it nicely in the end.

“I think everyone was surprised Fairy Godmother did what she did in the Albany; she came out of the clouds didn’t she. There were a few anxious moments a couple of furlongs out, but Ryan was happy and she did well.

“I think she has won it nicely in the end, despite having a few traffic problems, and hopefully she will take another step forward – Ryan said he thinks she will and said she was still a bit green coming through horses there. We’re looking forward to the rest of the season with her.

“She’s got plenty of speed and her sire Too Darn Hot was a very good miler. Ryan said he would advise going up to seven furlongs next time, so we will have to have a look at the schedule. I suppose we need to speak with Ryan and connections, they will have their own ideas on a schedule – and see how the filly is more importantly, and then make a plan.”

Simmering’s success continued a good week for the yard, with stablemate Celestial Orbit having scored in Listed company at Sandown on Thursday.

Sangster added: “Both Simmering and Celestial Orbit showed up sort of together in the spring and did a lot of work together, so that gave me a bit of extra confidence coming into today after the filly won well on Thursday. They are both different types of filly but it’s nice to have them in the yard and connections like that in the yard – it will be nice to see them get their heads in front again.”

Regarding Al Shaqab’s investment, he said: “The ownership changed at about half past nine on Thursday and it was pretty manic in the office. I’ve grown up watching Al Shaqab and Sheikh Joaan’s good horses like Toronado and Treve and all those other good horses, so for them to buy into a horse in our yard is a privilege and for it to get off to a good start, it couldn’t have gone any better.”

Al Shaqab racing manager Alison Begley commented: “We have had an eye on her since Ascot and then it was a case of getting our ducks in a row. The form was there in the book and she was sort of the obvious one, so I’m delighted it’s worked out well for everybody.

“Ryan was saying there that he thinks the Breeders’ Cup would be ideal. She’s got speed but he thinks she will be better again stepping up to seven furlongs – obviously Del Mar is a very sharp mile.

“That would be very long term and we would have to speak to the Al Shaqab team and everything and see where we go, but I think quick ground will be key to her.

“She was green still today and I think she will have learned a lot having to come through horses like she did, we were delighted with her.”

Express delivers for Mulrennan

Northern Express produced a game front-running performance to pick up a deserved valuable prize in the £150,000 Moet & Chandon International Stakes over seven furlongs.

The Michael Dods-trained six-year-old had run well in a series of big handicaps this season without quite claiming top honours, including two runner-up efforts at York and fifth place in the Buckingham Palace at the Royal meeting here.

However, he put that right when making all under regular pilot Paul Mulrennan at 22/1, just holding on from fast-finishing duo New Image and Fresh by a couple of necks.

Mulrennan said: “He has been a real good servant to everyone, we discussed it last week that he was just getting a little bit cute in his old age so we popped the cheekpieces on.

“I think he has finished fourth in this race the last twice, but typical of Michael he is great at keeping these horses going year after year and it’s great to get a winner here.

“You have to remember he has won over a mile hence we weren’t afraid to use him over seven and he kept grinding it out.

“He’s been very consistent in knocking on the door, and the cheekpieces had the desired effect. We couldn’t see any pace on and luckily I was able to get onto a fairly easy lead. The owners are all here and it’s massive as it is very hard to come down here and win.”

Qudra books American trip

Al Qudra put his experience to good use when running out a ready winner of the Flexjet Pat Eddery Stakes and could be set for a tilt at Breeders’ Cup glory later on this year.

Charlie Appleby’s juvenile had already raced four times prior to this Listed-class contest, scoring at Lingfield before finishing a close-up fifth in the Coventry Stakes at the Royal meeting.

Stepping up to seven furlongs, William Buick was keen to control the pace out in front on the 4-1 chance, with the other four runners bunched up in behind.

At the business end of the contest, battle-hardened Al Qudra found much more than his rivals and galloped to the line to beat New Century by two and a quarter lengths, with odds-on favourite Chancellor back in third after encountering some trouble in running.

Appleby has an excellent record in this race and said: “He came in today with a lot of experience under his belt – he’s run twice over five, stepped up to six in the Coventry and up to seven today. He had the experience and we utilised that.

“Will was keen to go out there and just use his experience. You know what it’s like against some of those horses, they only had the one run, so it was a big step to change gears moving up to this level. He utilised his experience, but he’s not a bad horse himself.

“Take nothing away from what we’ve beaten, but he’s just a good, solid horse and I think he might make up into a Breeders’ Cup horse as he ticks a lot of boxes for the profile of horse that I like to take over there. Experience counts over there and he has plenty of that.

“I’m sure we will find another run before we go over to the Breeders’ Cup, although I haven’t really pinpointed one just yet.”

Terms too good for rivals in opener

Earlier Moore made all on Our Terms to take the British EBF Crocker Bulteel ‘Confined’ Maiden Stakes at Ascot, where Al Misbar, who cost 1.5million guineas as a yearling, ultimately finished well beaten.

The Richard Hannon-trained winner had run with promise when fourth on his debut in a good maiden won by Field Of Gold on the July course at Newmarket and built on that with a determined display.

Back In Black pushed the 7/2 winner in the closing stages, but Moore’s mount refused to buckle in scoring by half a length.

The Charlie Appleby-trained Al Misbar – who is a half-brother to brilliant sprinter Battaash – was not the quickest away but was still able to move into it quite stylishly at halfway, looking a real threat before being eased when his chance had gone.

Hannon, who has a fine record in this race, said: “We’ve always quite liked him, and his first run was very nice. We decided to use his experience, it’s always a smart horse that wins this.

“The Mill Reef closes on Monday and then there’s the Gimcrack, but Ryan thinks he’s more of a seven-furlong horse. He’s something very nice to look forward to.”

Appleby said of Al Misbar: “It was his first day at school and it didn’t matter where he turned up, he was always going to be a fancied horse given his pedigree and his price. They don’t know their price though, so I never worry about stuff like that.

“Will (Buick) said he was going down nice and quiet but he was lugging to the left, lugging to the right, the usual first day stuff. We’ll get him back out again in three weeks’ time.”

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