Elsworth's City is very slick
David Elsworth was left dreaming of the Vodafone Derby after seeing Salford City enhance his Classic claims with an impressive success at Newbury.
The trainer, who is still best-known to many racing fans as the man who looked after brilliant jumper Desert Orchid, allowed himself a smile after seeing Johnny Murtagh bring his charge through with a dramatic burst of acceleration to claim the Lane’s End Greenham Stakes.
It was a superb effort from the once-raced colt, who is now as short as 5-1 for the UltimateBet.com 2000 Guineas with Ladbrokes – although Irish layers Paddy Power offer 8-1.
Elsworth has trained a number of top-notch performers, and he drew a comparison between Salford City and the brilliant filly In The Groove.
“He has got the same sort of acceleration as her, the sort of thing which makes your heart beat a bit faster,” he said. “I never like to say this sort of thing, but he is probably among the best I have had.”
The 100-30 winner missed the break and trailed the 10-runner field in the early stages of the Group Three contest.
He still had plenty to do a furlong out, but once switched to the centre of the course he quickened up in good style to burst clear and score by a length and three-quarters from Fokine. So Will I was a short head back in third.
Milk It Mick, the 3-1 favourite, flattered briefly on the outside but probably saw too much daylight from his wide draw and dropped out of contention a furlong out to finish fifth.
Winning rider Johnny Murtagh was delighted with Salford City’s performance.
“He was only having his second run and David said just teach him a bit, and he’ll learn a lot from today,” he said.
“He’s very promising. He’s a good athlete and I don’t see why he souldn’t act at Newmarket.
“I was just hoping I got a bit of room and when I got it, there were no worries.”
Elsworth is now thinking about both the 2000 Guineas and the Derby for his charge, who was bought by leading owner Michael Tabor during the winter.
“He needed every yard of seven furlongs and I always thought that, provided he ran well enough, he would go on to the Guineas,” he said.
“He did well to go through that gap. There is a lot more space and another furlong for him at Newmarket.
“Then we can think about Epsom. He is bred to stay a mile and a quarter and I have got the faith to see him through the extra two furlongs, hopefully.
“He will certainly give himself every chance of staying the trip because he is a horse who settles so well. But we will have to wait and see. I can dream about it, anyway.”
On the fillies’ front, Majestic Desert staked her claim for the UltimateBet.com 1000 Guineas with a resolute victory in the Dubai Duty Free Fred Darling Stakes.
She was held up in the early stages and when a gap appeared a furlong out, Kieren Fallon sent the winner through the opening.
Producing a good turn of foot, Mick Channon’s filly went to the front and only had to be kept up to her work to hold the staying-on Nyramba by a length, with Nataliya the same distance back in third.
“The way she was working at home, she’s a very high-class filly, but it’s very difficult to know if they are going to do it on the track,” said Channon.
“She’s just a professional and she’s got speed. This could be the one. I know what you critics are like, you’ll kick me for saying it, but I just have that feeling.
“Queens Logic would have won the Guineas – I’m sure of that – and this filly reminds me a bit of her in a lot of ways.
“I imagine that the owner would like Kieren to ride her again at Newmarket, but if he doesn’t then it’s not the end of the world. Ted (Durcan) or Steve (Drowne) could ride her – she is very straightforward and can be ridden from the front or behind.
“She is a very, very good filly. So is Silca’s Gift – she is very good too. But this one’s better.”
Fallon added: “She went to sleep for the first half of the race and she wasn’t doing anything at all, but I got hold of her and the gap came.
“She’s got plenty of class and the acceleration she showed here today was enough for me.”
Ladbrokes are best-priced at 10-1 Majestic Desert for the 1000 Guineas, with William Hill now offering just 11-2.
John Gosden reported that Nyramba would go to Longchamp for the French 1000 Guineas, but that he was equally delighted with the performance of Phantom Wind, who faded in the closing stages to finish sixth under Richard Hughes on her seasonal appearance.
“She got very, very tired inside the final furlong and Richard didn’t knock her about,” he said. “We might have got away with it but in a good race like this she just wasn’t ready enough.
“Nobody can feel like we put them away because we told everybody that she would need it today, but I desperately wanted to get some experience into her and it was better to come here than go for a racecourse gallop.
“She will definitely still go to Newmarket.”
Dubai Success just got the better of Gamut after a fiercely-contested battle for the Dubai Irish Village Stakes.
Bandari set out to make the running in the Group Three contest, more familiarly known as the John Porter Stakes, but as he began to fade with three of the 12 furlongs left to travel Fallon sent Gamut to the front.
Just as the champion made his move on the 7-2 favourite, Michael Hills went after him on Dubai Success, and they were head-to-head inside the final furlong.
The latter, a 10-1 chance, proved just the stronger to land the spoils by a short head.
Imperial Dancer ran a race full of promise under his Group One penalty to finish another three lengths back in third.
“That was as good a renewal of the race as there has been for a few years and he has beaten some good horses,” said trainer Barry Hills.
“Mind you, the last time I won it was with Rheingold (in 1973) so it has been a long time coming.
“We should have a bit of fun with him this year. He was a Godolphin reject this time last year but I wish they’d send me a few more like him!
“He has been going well at home and I think we’ll go for the Yorkshire Cup now – a mile and three-quarters shouldn’t be a problem.”
Richard Hills was handed a three-day ban (April 28-30) for careless riding on the unplaced Bandari.
He was adjudged to have manoeuvred too sharply at the start in order to get his mount to the head of the field.
El Coto took advantage of some scrimmaging among his rivals to pounce for a surprise success in the stanjamesuk.com Spring Cup.
Those who took part in the massive gamble on 7-4 favourite Alkaadhem knew their fate some way out with the market leader and the unfortunate Hills trapped behind a wall of horses.
In the meantime Serieux had kicked for home chased by King’s County and El Coto, and as soon as Seb Sanders asked the winner to quicken up, the response was immediate.
He shot clear and despite drifting to his left, the 20-1 shot landed the spoils for trainer Bryan McMahon by a length and three-quarters.
Serieux (25-1) held on for second, a length and a quarter ahead of King’s County (14-1), with Alkaadhem finishing fast but all too late back in fourth.
The trainer’s son, Edward McMahon, said: “Seb started out his career with us and he won on Band On The Run on his first ever ride a long time ago.
“The horse has obviously stripped a bit fitter for his first run and he had all the breaks today.”
Much-improved Malarkey showed a mean turn of foot to take two-mile cantorsport.co.uk Handicap.
The Stef Liddiard-trained gelding was always travelling sweetly under Steve Drowne in midfield.
And despite having to switch his mount past weakening rivals, the 9-1 winner was strong enough to hold the fast-finishing Tomina by two and a half lengths.
“I can’t believe it – I bought this horse for only 6,000 guineas after I rode him in an amateur riders’ race three years ago,” said Liddiard.
“I only thought he might win a little race for us and here we are at Newbury winning a big race like this.”
Ionian Spring took the mile-and-a-quarter Dubai Duty Free Handicap in the colours of the Elite Racing Club for the second year in a row.
And the concluding mile maiden went to Marcus Tregoning’s Mudawin, with the much-touted Akimbo back in third.
