A review of the action and free video replays from Saturday's meeting at Doncaster.
Bellota delivers for Murphy and Ryan
John Ryan’s La Bellota saw off the might of Wathnan Racing and Coolmore to win the William Hill Prospect Stakes.
Ryan is down to a string of just 10 horses these days but La Bellota had already finished second in the Mill Reef and run in the Prix de l’Abbaye this season. The Newmarket handler was forced to draw stumps halfway through the season due to the ill health of his string but they are ending the campaign in top form.
Fourth in the Cornwallis Stakes two weeks ago, Oisin Murphy set a searching gallop on the 13-2 shot, despite the testing conditions. Anything that did not race down the centre of the track seemed beaten at halfway but Wathnan’s Diego Ventura and Aidan O’Brien’s Bounty were giving chase.
Having only his second run over six furlongs, his other being the Mill Reef, La Bellota saw it out well to hold Diego Ventura by a neck.
“He’s been a busy horse but unfortunately for him, he keeps trying so we’ve got to keep going,” said Ryan. “We were probably unlucky going to France, he missed the break and in a race such as that, you are not going to get away with it.
“He didn’t run too badly last time at Newmarket when he got caught in the middle and I knew there was a decent race in him. It’s good for the owner who has been a great supporter of me.”
“I don’t think I took a breath in the last half a furlong but Oisin said he broke well and in that ground he didn’t want to take a pull on him and disappoint him. He’s so game. We put blinkers on today to help him concentrate as despite all his runs, he’s still very green.
“It’s nice for a small yard to have a good horse to carry us through, we’re down to 10 horses now, we need horses like this. Hopefully Manaccan will be back in the new year, he’s back in full training now so it’s exciting for next year.
“We had a problem in the yard in the beginning of the year, a lot were sick so we had to lay off them but a bit of time cures most things.”
Buick stars on Cover Up
William Buick may have lost his title to Oisin Murphy this season but he managed to get one over on his weighing room colleague when Cover Up pipped Jer Batt on the line in the Join Century Racing Club Today Handicap at Doncaster.
Having looked a promising sprinter earlier in the year on the all-weather – he was sent off favourite in the Sprint on Finals Day – he has failed to trouble the judge since, admittedly in some of the most competitive races of the season.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, he looked to have a mountain to climb in the closing stages as Murphy burst clear on Jer Batt, trained by David and Nicola Barron. But Buick had timed it perfectly, getting the 10/1 shot home by a head with Solar Aclaim a length back in third.
The Godolphin-owned Cover Up has a date at the sales next week and could be heading for pastures new.
“I suppose he could be one for Dubai or something like that but let’s be honest, sprint handicappers are not usually Godolphin’s thing,” said John Gosden.
“He has raced this year but they don’t tend to hold on to horses like that. I don’t think that ground is his favourite and I think they went a bit quick up front in the ground and he enjoyed them coming back to him. He handles most ground.”
Haggas second string scores
William Haggas fielded the 5/2 favourite The Reverend in the William Hill Proper Betting Handicap but he was his unconsidered 33/1 shot Laafi who came out on top.
Fitted with first-time blinkers and given a chance by the handicapper after several lifeless runs this season, Callum Rodriguez sent him clear of the field with well over a furlong to run.
Another outsider, 66-1 chance Iron Lion, burst out of the pack to give chase but could only get within a length and three-quarters.
Rodriguez teamed up with Haggas to win a Group Three at Ayr’s Western Meeting on Sky Majesty and has an impressive strike-rate when teaming up with the Newmarket handler.
“He’s proven in these conditions and he had first-time blinkers on today,” said Rodriguez. “It was very straightforward, we hit the gates so I got a nice pitch and I got it easy in truth.
“I’ve been getting some nice opportunities this season, it’s been a brilliant season, high on numbers with some quality in there as well.”
Compensation for Owen
James Owen had to settle for third with his stable star Wimbledon Hawkeye in the day’s feature, the Futurity Trophy, but he left Town Moor with a winner courtesy of Pellitory (7/2) in the Caseih & Paxtons Supply Tractors To Arc Nursery Handicap.
“We’ve always really liked him and he works with Wimbledon Hawkeye. He’s a big frame of a horse who we thought wanted stepping up in trip, but we were wrong as he over-raced,” said Owen.
“He switched off lovely today and he’s come home well, he’s a nice horse for the future, he might be one for something like the Britannia.”
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