Newmarket Saturday review and replays: Sharp Power lands hat-trick
By Graham Clark
17:40 · SAT July 29, 2023
A review of the pick of the action from Saturday's meeting at Newmarket where Sharp Power completed a hat-trick.
Richard Hughes knows a thing or two about smart horses having partnered plenty during his career as a jockey and he believes Sharp Power is a ‘horse going places’ after completing a hat-trick of wins in the Visit racingtv.com Handicap at Newmarket on Saturday.
Despite taking five attempts to get off the mark the gelded son of Churchill continued his recent turn around in form when adding to his victories gained at Windsor and last time out at Wolverhampton in today’s £50,000 feature prize on the July Course.
Racing prominently throughout the six-furlong contest in the hands of rising star of the weighing room Connor Planas, the 9/2 chance stayed on well for the Lambourn handler in the closing strides to deny Dream For Gold by a neck.
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Hughes said: “He had bottom weight and that probably helped in the last 100 yards. He is a horse going places and he is not ground dependant. He is only going to get better.
“It took a long time for him to come physically. In the spring I tried to win one of those nice maidens on the all-weather.
“He was second in two of them so he picked up prize money, but he was only a frame of a horse. It is only since May when we started getting them out in the paddocks that he has started to thrive.
“He is bordering on being a seven-furlong horse so I will let him do the talking there. He could be a Victoria Cup horse one day. I think the stronger he is getting the quicker he is getting.
“I won’t throw him in the deep end this year. That was a fifty-thousand-pound race and I’m glad to get that. We won’t be too hard on him this year as I think we will benefit for it next year.”
There was no hiding how much the victory of Tiger Crusade (12/1) meant to his part owner Bryan Payne, who described his success under Callum Shepherd in the Every Race Live On Racing TV Handicap as a ‘big day’.
With two wins on the all-weather to his name already this year the David Simcock-trained six-year-old secured his first win on turf in more than three years when edging out Justcallmepete by a short-head much to the delight of Totteridge-based Payne.
He said: “I’ve been coming here all my life and this is a dream for me to have a Saturday winner at Newmarket. It is my first winner at Newmarket and this is a big day for me.
“I’m very happy as I was on him 16/1. He has a lower mark on turf as he has not won for a long time but he stays seven furlongs and on that slightly tacky ground he was always going to finish off six furlongs well.
“He has been running on quicker ground on the turf, but I think he likes to get his toe in a little bit. That trip today on that ground was perfect for him.”
No trainer has been more prolific than Charlie Appleby at the July Course in recent seasons and the Godolphin handler struck with his only runner on the card after Aablan made his debut a triumphant one in the opening British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes.
Recent statistics suggested that following Newmarket-based Appleby in the seven-furlong contest is a wise move with the last three renewals going his way with the pick of his previous winners being subsequent Group One scorer Modern Games in 2021.
And the son of Dubawi, who holds an entry in the Group Two Betfred Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in September, ensured a fourth straight success went the way of Appleby when finding enough to repel fellow newcomer Whiskey Pete by half a length.
Alex Merriam, assistant trainer, said of the triumphant 4/7 market leader: “I think he was just a bit green and James (Doyle) said he was learning on the job. He was having a shout in here (winner’s enclosure) and James said he had a shout at the start. Hopefully he has got a bit about him.
“He had been pleasing us at home but Charlie hadn’t asked him many questions. James said he would improve a good bit. I think for the time being seven would be fine but he is a horse that will get further in time.”
Having been highly tried on her first three starts of the campaign the return to calmer waters appeared to help the Victorious Racing-owned Sisyphus Strength, who secured her first victory of the campaign in the Join Racing TV Now Handicap.
Paying the price for chasing the pace in King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot last time out the Andrew Balding-trained filly, who pulled up in the Cheshire Oaks on her return at Chester, bounced back to form when striking gold by two and a half lengths.
Sam Geake, spokesman for the stable, said of the 6/1 winner: “She has really found her form there and was given a no-nonsense ride by David Probert.
“She went to quick over the mile and a half at Ascot but coming back to calmer waters has helped today. She was also suited by the slight drop in trip back to a mile and a quarter today.”
There was further success for both Victorious Racing and Group race winning jockey Shepherd after the George Scott-trained Isle Of Jura (13/8) cruised to glory by a length and three quarter success in the Barry Stewart And Sons 40th Anniversary Handicap.
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