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Action from the Abernant Stakes

Newmarket Craven day review and horses to follow

By Graham Clark

Horse Racing

Fri April 19, 2024 · 7M ago

Graham Clark wraps up the action from Newmarket on bet365 Craven day with a few horses of interest, including one who didn't get her chance to race at all.

Harris still on a Rol at 90

Owner Peter Harris has been there, done that and got the T-shirt, but his passion for the sport remains as strong as ever with his silks now set to be among those on show in next month's QIPCO 1000 Guineas thanks to the victory of Rolica.

Having fun in life is very much the ethos of the 90-year-old, who co-founded Bourne Leisure, which is behind such British institutions as Haven Holidays, but his spirits were lifted even further with a filly that is brimming full of potential.

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Up until Thursday's success of the daughter of Lope De Vega, it had been a Craven Meeting which had been mixed with elements of promise and disappointment for former trainer Harris, but that all changed following the conclusion of the Rossdales Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

And with the mile trip of the opening fillies' Classic looking right up the street of the 320,000 guineas purchase, who appeared to need every yard of the seven-furlongs, it's easy to see why Harris has a spring in his step.

Rolica wins narrowly at Newmarket on bet365 Craven day

Harris said: “It did give me great delight watching her as we have had a few seconds and it was great to finally get a win. She has got a 1000 Guineas entry. We will see how she comes out of the race, but I think it is the natural thing to have a go at that.

“On the whole I’m happy with the team I have, and on the whole they are running well, but there have been one or two naughty boys. I don’t think we have any other Classic horses, but we have some nice horses. The horses are what keep me alive!"

Mill Stream was one of three second place results Harris had across the meeting, but the leisure tycoon is confident more big days are ahead of the son of Gleneagles.

Harris said: “Mill Stream ran really well in the Abernant. He will come on undoubtedly for that run, and he would love it softer. He has won twice in France, when it was really soft, so we know he can cope with that so I think we have to head for the west coast! I really do hope there is a nice prize in him this season."

If you think this colt is good...

Despite suffering the odd sleepless night here and there following the arrival of his son Michael three weeks ago, it has not stopped jockey Sean Levey from shining in the saddle after guiding Haatem to glory in the bet365 Craven Stakes.

But as much as Levey was delighted with notching another Group Three winner, it was a victory he knows bodes well for his QIPCO 2000 Guineas ride Rosallion, who judged on last season’s efforts is in another league to the Phoenix Of Spain colt.

Levey said: “There is no doubt he is exposed, but I thought he brought a lot of form to the table, and he was always a big horse last year. I thought he did well at running as well as he did, as I knew he would get better in time.

“I wasn’t expecting that sort of run because he has been hiding it a bit from me at home. I thought he wanted a mile and a quarter. I thought he did that really well, and he will show his hand in the Guineas now. The other horse (Rosallion) is a good horse, and it gives you confidence to see him win the way he did.”

Better days to come for Hills

Charlie Hills was left tearing his hair out before the bet365 Wood Ditton Maiden Stakes after Lovemeforareason parted company with William Cox in the paddock and stablemate Dancing Away unshipped Jim Crowley on the way to the start.

But the Lambourn handler soon forgot those antics after watching Mitbaahy finish a respectable fourth on his stable debut in the Group Three Connaught Access Flooring Abernant Stakes to set up a tilt at some lucrative summer targets.

Hills said: “I thought Mitbaahy was the one to take out of the race, and I was really pleased with him. It is not really the ideal track to come from at the back, but I love the way he finished off. I hope we have a good few years with him as he has got a great attitude, and a really good temperament.

“Trip wise, I’m not sure, as he looked fast enough for five, but he got the six furlongs really well today. I think he will end up having an entry in the King Charles III Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.”

Dancing Away might not have been able to take her chance following her racecourse misdemeanours, but Hills believes the Galiway filly is worth taking note of.

He added: “We will look for another race in a couple of weeks with Dancing Away. I like her a lot, and she is a very nice filly. We look to run her against her own sex next time. She works nicely at home. It was just unfortunate it didn’t happen today."

One for the weekend

For some the dream of having a runner in either the 2000 Guineas or 1000 Guineas will have been burst across the three days. But for trainer Eve Johnson-Houghton she will see where she stands with Mister Sketch in the Group Three Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Stud Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.

While excited to take the wraps off last year’s Mill Reef Stakes runner-up, who will have the assistance of William Buick in the saddle, the Blewbury handler has issued a word of warning regarding his chances.

Johnson Houghton said: “I said to someone the other day I’m going to go to these big meetings and get my arse smacked, and we will then go back to Bath.

"Mister Sketch is a lovely horse, but he is a work in progress. He was always going to be a better three year old than a two year old as he is still big and gangly, and he can’t quite remember where he has left his feet.

“He is a lovely horse, and he is just going to progress on, and on, through the season. He is not a great work horse, but he has done a couple of nice bits recently so that has been exciting. This is a trial and we will see where we are. He is ready to run, but he is not at his peak.”

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