Tough Banimpire races to Ribblesdale victory
The teak-tough filly was having her seventh start of a busy campaign, and winning for the fifth time this season.
Her only defeats this year came on her seasonal reappearance behind Windsor Forest winner Lolly For Dolly and when she found a mile too sharp in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.
Bolger was worried after heavy rain altered the going to good to soft, soft in places, but Kevin Manning was always confident the 3-1 favourite would catch long-time leader Field Of Miracles.
She did just that, but the game runner-up came back at him and the winning distance was just a short head.
There was a further seven lengths back to Dorcas Lane.
“After she won at Cork this was always the plan if she came out of it all right,” said Bolger.
“We used Cork as if we were giving her a blow-out at home, we’d done it before and it was successful.
“All she does is eats and sleeps and the only time she exerts herself is on the racecourse.
“I’ll probably find a race between now and the Irish Oaks (July 17) and then we’ll do what the French do and give her a break before the Prix de l’Opera.”
Manning added: “She’s very tough and improving all the time but the ground wasn’t ideal for her.
“When I asked her to quicken she was just keeping on, when normally she shows more of a turn of foot.”
The jockey’s celebrations were, however, slightly tempered by a two-day ban (July 1 and 3) for using his whip with excessive frequency and in the incorrect place.
Phillip Makin cemented his blossoming partnership with trainer Kevin Ryan when Bapak Chinta maintained his unbeaten record in the Norfolk Stakes.
Sent off at 6-1, there was plenty of stable confidence behind him, but morning rain had begun to eat away at their belief.
However, after tracking the pace down the middle of the course, Makin went clear on entering the final furlong to beat Boomerang Bob by a length, with Crown Dependency third.
Seb Sanders was given a one-day ban (July 1) on the runner-up for using his whip with excessive frequency.
It is unusual for any horse to win two big handicaps in the same season, but Hughie Morrison’s Sagramor followed up his triumph in Haydock’s Silver Bowl with a gutsy success in the Britannia Stakes.
Sent off at 8-1, the Nicky Mackay-ridden colt was defying an 8lb higher mark but burst clear of the field with a furlong to run.
Not surprisingly, there were plenty in pursuit, but Cai Shen got closest, half a length away, with The Tichborne and Belgian Bill taking minor honours.
“This one was a plot,” revealed Morrison.
“The owners, Melksham Craic, have been planning this since I bought Jasmick (dam) in 1999.
“I bought her for £6,000 and the sire (Pastoral Pursuits) for £20,000.
“It’s just a fantastic day. I thought we’d had our day at Haydock when we went up 8lb but he was very gutsy.”
