Rest of Haydock review including free video replays on Temple Stakes day
By Sporting Life
17:03 · SAT May 25, 2024
A review of the rest of the action from Haydock on Betfred Temple Stakes day.
Inisherin takes Sandy Lane as Vandeek vanquished
Vandeek lost his unbeaten record as Inisherin ran out an impressive winner of the Betfred Supports Jack Berry House Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock.
Sent off the 8/11 favourite, Vandeek won each of his four juvenile starts, including Group One glory in both the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes.
However, he was clearly toiling approaching the closing stages of the six-furlong heat with Inisherin, who finished unplaced in the 2000 Guineas last time, well in control for Tom Eaves.
After racing prominently, the 9/2 shot had plenty in reserve to run out a three-and-three-quarter-length victor over 40/1 shot Orne, with Vandeek the third-placed horse.
Inisherin does not hold an entry in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, although he can be supplemented for the race at a cost of £46,000, with Coral making him the 4-1 favourite for that contest.
Eaves said: “I was always in my comfort zone. He’s a very good horse and obviously that makes my life easy.
“He’s run really well in the Guineas, that was a solid run, and you always think dropping back to sprinting will he be quick enough, but Kevin was always very confident he was.
“He’s only had four starts so we’re only just getting to know him and he’s only finding his feet. He’s got plenty of speed and there will be plenty of options.
“It’s great to be involved with these good horses, I’m very thankful.”
Amy Ryan, daughter of trainer Kevin, said: “He’s got a great mind on him and that opens up so many more options.
“He’d have to be supplemented for the Commonwealth Cup, but I haven’t spoken to anyone yet so I don’t know what the plan is. We just need to get him home and make sure he’s OK and see how he comes out of the race.
“We’ve always thought loads of him but he’s just so laid back. We could have started him off over seven earlier in the year and he ran a blinder in the Guineas, but he’s just got so much natural speed and having gone and done that today, he’s got options.
“It’s nice to have another good sprinter coming through because we’ve obviously had the likes of Brando, Glass Sippers and Hello Youmzain and you miss them when they retire.
“Physically I thought he stood out today and he’s got such a fantastic attitude.”
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Ed Crisford, who trains Vandeek jointly with his father, Simon, expects plenty of improvement.
“It looked like he was a bit fresh early on. He travelled super in the race but he just got tired in the last furlong in the ground,” he said.
“All these horses had already run, the winner had run well in the Guineas so was super-fit but on that ground, James (Doyle) just felt the last furlong was a long way home.
“But, we’ve got him out now, we’ll keep going with the plan, see how he is and as long as he’s OK, we’ll head for Ascot.
“It was a shame he’s been beaten obviously, but these things happen and we’ll keep on pointing towards Ascot and I’m sure he’ll come on a hell of a lot for the race today.
“It’s testing, sticky ground and even if you’ve gone on it before, it was his first run of the year and James didn’t want to give him a very hard race.”
Nellie Leylax was cheered home by his enthusiastic bunch of local owners to win the £100,000 Betfred Silver Bowl at Haydock.
Given a positive ride by Pierre-Louis Jamin, who was partnering him to a fifth win from just seven rides, the Tom Dascombe-trained gelding never looked like getting beaten.
Jamin took two lengths out of the field well over two furlongs from home and put the race to bed a long way out to win as the 9/2 joint-favourite.
Involvement burst out of the pack to claim second but was beaten by a length and a half.
Owned by Millennial Racing and named after syndicate member Scott Burkert’s gran Nellie Leyland (his sire his Calyx), syndicate manager and Tom Dascombe’s assistant Arthur Owen indicated the Britannia at Royal Ascot would be next, if the ground is soft enough.
Jamin said: “The only time I’ve been beaten on him was when the ground wasn’t soft enough for him.
“He’s been a great horse for the owners, the first horse they ever bought and he was impressive today, it was perfect conditions for him though. There might be more to come, definitely on softer ground.
“Tom’s been great to me for the past couple of years, we had a good winner at Chester and it’s nice to get another big one.”
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Rest of Haydock
Ed Walker has his string in rude health and his English Oak booked his spot at Royal Ascot with a very straightforward success in the Betfred Hattrick Heaven New Boston Handicap.
Second at Newmarket first time out, he had no trouble winning as the 8/11 favourite under Oisin Murphy, who confirmed the Buckingham Palace Stakes would be his likely target.
Murphy said: “The unknown was the ground but he’s by Wootton Bassett. He’s clearly a horse with a high level of ability and I don’t think I had to get too serious with him today.
“I’m delighted for his owner (David Ward) who has had good horses in the past like Starman and this guy is going the right way.
“He’d be a good ride in something like the Buckingham Palace, Ed mentioned this morning he hoped he could win and that would set him up for the race.”
The former champion jockey was also successful aboard Hugo Palmer’s Nariko (11/2) in the Betfred Double Delight Edge Green Handicap.
An expensive breeze-up purchase in April 2023, she may finally be about to deliver on that promise.
“She cost 600,000 guineas at the breeze and that looked a stacked little race, but Hugo hasn’t had her long and thought the ground would be in her favour today,” said Murphy.
“She relaxed very well and if she continues to do that, hopefully she’ll progress.”
Harry Eustace has some thinking to do regarding a target for Divine Comedy (3/1 favourite) who was an easy five-and-a-half-length winner of the Betfred Nifty 50 Hell Nook Handicap under Kaiya Fraser.
“She was impressive there but I haven’t thought past today because two miles at Kempton and two miles on this ground is a different kettle of fish,” said Eustace.
“I didn’t know if she stayed it well enough but she loved the ground and stayed the trip.
“Being a filly, black type is the ultimate aim at some point and I’m sure the handicapper will have a say after that.
“The Ascot Stakes has crossed my mind but we will look at France as well. She’s not in the Northumberland Plate but something like the Doncaster Cup down the line might appeal.”
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