A review of the pick of the action from Saturday's meeting at Newmarket.
Quinault could go international
Quinault could be set for international competition after notching a second successive Listed win in the Jenningsbet Hopeful Stakes at Newmarket.
Stuart Williams’ four-year-old has now won nine times in his 18-race career and having excelled last season is finally finding his feet this term, showing his toughness to follow up his Queensferry Stakes victory earlier this month.
He could step up to both seven furlongs and Group Two level at Doncaster next month after striking at odds of 100-30 in the hands of Marco Ghiani, but his handler is tempted to take the son of Oasis Dream overseas.
“He’s amazing and I don’t think he liked the ground out there, he’s just tough and tries very hard,” said Williams.
“He’s a legend, an absolute star. He’s won here before and he’s won on the Rowley Mile as well but I don’t think it makes any difference. He’s won round Chester and he’s won on the all-weather and even at Brighton one day.”
On future plans, Williams added: “I’ve put him in the Park Stakes at Doncaster but whether we go there or not, I don’t know, I’ll speak to the owner.
“I would love to travel this horse as he is so laid back and I’m sure he would do well in that scenario. He goes well on any ground and seven furlongs on a turning track would be right up his street.”
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Life of Brian!
Brian looked a cut above when scorching clear of the opposition to win the £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes.
Third to Bedtime Story in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot, Sylvester Kirk’s 11/4 chance has some smart form to his name and came home four and a quarter lengths clear of 15/8 favourite Li Ban to tee-up a trip to France later in the autumn.
Kirk said: “It’s a nice payday and it’s good to have a race like that for a cheap horse, he’s done it well.
“His form was probably the best of them and he loved the ground, so it was all very good. It was good to soft when he won at Newbury but I felt it was closer to good ground and he’s not very big, so you just worried because they are not finishing very quickly out there today and he’s not so big.
“He ran well in the Listed race (Pat Eddery Stakes, at Ascot) and third in the Chesham, albeit Aidan O’Brien’s won 10 lengths. But the rest of his form is good and he was second to Cool Hoof Luke on his second start at Chelmsford, so he’s been beaten a neck by a Gimcrack winner.
“Maybe we will step him into a black-type race in France, the owners are mad-keen to go out there because he’s a fun horse. He didn’t cost a lot and he’s gone above expectations.
“He’s not in the other sales race and it would have been nice to have him in, but we will have a look through the races in France and the ground might now actually suit him out there. He’s 93-rated and that’s probably where he is, he might be a few pounds better, but it’s exciting.”
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Clover takes another Gold
Tom Clover’s Invictus Gold built on his maiden success at Southwell to claim the scalp of the well-regarded Wathnan Racing-owned youngster Evening Saigon in the Jenningsbet British EBF Novice Stakes.
Meanwhile, there was a familiar face in the winner’s enclosure after the Bet With Jenningsbet Nationwide Handicap as Andrea Atzeni warmed up for his return to Hong Kong when partnering Richard Spencer’s Run Boy Run to victory.
Atzeni said: “It’s been great being back and I was really looking forward to coming back here for 10 days before my next stint in Hong Kong.
“I’ll be back in Hong Kong next Saturday and I will be straight back in the swing of it, so I was very keen to get the ball rolling before I went back, riding some work, training and lucky enough to get a few rides this weekend so it’s been brilliant.”
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