Sweet success for Tart
Tart, 21, who claims 3lb, was spotted at work on the 8-1 chance with a quarter-mile to run, but his efforts paid a handsome dividend as the five-year-old picked up in style, making full use of the gap that appeared and staying on strongly to account for Marchese Marconi by a length and a half, winning with his ears pricked.
Call Me Bubbles was third, with Majenta fourth as Montefeltro became only the second British-trained winner of the race after Mick Ryan’s Sweetness Herself in 1988.
The win means Tart remains unbeaten on Ellison’s gelding, with three wins from three rides.
North Yorkshire-based Ellison said: “After he won well at York the plan was to come here. He is a horse with a massive turn of foot, you just have to leave him alone. He is a lovely big horse and hopefully next year he will make up into a Plate (Northumberland Plate) horse.”
There was a minor blot on the day for Tart as he was given a three-day ban for careless riding.
Flying Jib looked a smart filly in the making when landing the Listed Staffordstown Stud Stakes.
Dermot Weld’s lightly-raced youngster quickened readily away from good yardstick Chicago Girl, who was a close second to My Titania in a Group Three last month.
The latter led at the furlong pole but Pat Smullen’s mount took her measure readily before going on to a length and a half victory.
Weld said: “That might be it for this year, although I’ll have to speak to Lord Grimthorpe (Khalid Abdullah’s racing manager). I mentioned to him that we might consider the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf.”
Top notch sprinter Balmont Mast was ultimately impressive in taking the Johnny O’Sullivan Lifetime In Racing Achievement Waterford Testimonial Stakes.
Group One-placed when second in Dubai on World Cup night and fourth in a big Singapore event in May, the Eddie Lynam-trained five-year-old was having just his second start since that effort at Kranji but was being niggled by Johnny Murtagh over a furlong out.
British raider Angels Will Fall had travelled very strongly as the winner’s stable companion Boston Rocker led on the rail but despite Charlie Hills’ runner hitting the front and looking all set to score, Balmont Mast found another gear deep inside the last to win quite cosily by three-quarters of a length.
Lynam said: “He’s one of four (Sole Power, Slade Power and Viztoria being the others) for the Champions Sprint at Ascot next weekend. We’ll see what the ground is like before making plans.”
Century earned a quote of 20-1 from Paddy Power for the Epsom Derby after making a winning racecourse debut in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Maiden.
