In-form favourites score again at Newmarket

The red, blue and white colours of Favourites Racing were in the winner’s enclosure for the fourth time from their last six runners as Crosspeace took the honours in the opening contest on UltimatePoker.com 1000 Guineas Day at Newmarket today.

Royston Ffrench delivered Mark Johnston’s charge, a 9-2 chance, with a well-timed run to overhaul Intoxicating inside the final strides and edge ahead for a neck verdict in the Curtis Medical Handicap.

Crosspeace was putting behind him a disappointing effort at Sandown on his previous start when repeatedly denied a clear run.

And Favourites Racing managing director Andy Clifton admitted that a poor start here had left him fearing a repeat.

“When he jinked coming out of the stalls I thought it was going to be Sandown all over again but he got some space and quickened up well,” he said. “He’ll get a mile no problem and probably further in time.”

Tarfah (9-4) grabbed the Vcbet Dahlia Stakes in the dying strides from the front-running Summitville.

Seb Sanders kept Gerard Butler’s filly in mid-division during much of the nine-furlong contest but she was trapped on the inside in the closing stages, only getting room in the final half a furlong.

She picked up well to pip the brave Summitville on the line by a neck, with La Persiana a further half a length away in third.

Favourite Red Bloom was a big disappointment, however, and was beaten some way from home.

Butler said: "She is a lovely filly and has been the apple of our eye for quite some time. She doesn’t know how to get beaten and that’s five from six now so we’ll probably go to Ireland for the Ridgewood Pearl Stakes and then there’s the Windsor Forest at Royal Ascot at York, so she has plenty of options."

The well-backed Alkaased ran out a convincing winner of the UltimatePoker.com Jockey Club Stakes.

The fast-improving five-year-old, trained by Luca Cumani, travelled very smoothly under Jimmy Fortune and took it up from market rival Gamut with over two furlongs to run.

The 2-1 favourite maintained his advantage all the way to the line to hold Gamut by a length and a half, with Bandari a further short-head away in third.

Cumani said: "He has done nothing but improve all along. He improved between three and four and has improved again between four and five.

“What I liked today was that he travelled so well and he was the last horse off the bridle. He came to the bushes and when Jimmy asked him he just went clear.

“That was good and hopefully there is better still to come – you never know what is around the corner but for the first race of the year, it was a good effort. I have to discuss plans with the owners but he will go for the Coronation Cup.

“He likes fast ground and is a well-balanced horse so Epsom should be fine. The Coronation is a natural next step for him.”