Indian does it in style
Indian Maiden continued her remarkable rise up the ratings with an emphatic victory in the six-furlong Cecil Frail Stakes at Haydock Park yesterday.
Under a confident ride from Fran Berry, Malcolm Saunders’ mare produced an impressive turn of foot to sweep past Slip Dance in the final furlong, scoring by three lengths to claim her fifth success of the season.
After starting the year in lowlyevents on the all-weather, the five-year-old can now boast two Class One victories including this Listed contest and could well make a successful step up into Group company with some cut underfoot.
“She’s just improved every time we’ve run. She won three on the all-weather at Lingfield, then a nice race at Bath, and she’s also been running well in defeat without quite getting the ground she needs,” said Saunders.
“I had Repertory and he had a lot of early speed, and this filly is an athlete. If you get her settled she has tons of ability and this year at five she has really come to herself.”
A trip to the Royal Ascot meeting at York is unlikely, however, with another Listed race at Salisbury a more probable target.
“She’s in the King’s Stand but we really would want the ground to come up soft to go and take them on,” added the trainer.
“There is a Listed race next Sunday at Salisbury, although I think the weather forecast is good next week and I really wouldn’t want to run her on good to firm ground.”
Winning jockey Berry showed he was none the worse for Thursday’s fall at this course in the incident which saw Frankie Dettori handed a six-day ban.
Come On Jonny could have booked himself a trip to Royal Ascot after showing plenty of courage when making all to land the 888.com Handicap over one and a half miles.
Ralph Beckett’s charge, already a battling winner at Doncaster this season, looked beaten when favourite Wild Savannah loomed alongside him at the two-furlong pole.
However, the 7-1 shot kept on pulling out more and just would not be denied, eventually prevailing by a head under Brazilian apprentice Nelson de Souza.
“He’s a lovely horse and he kept on going all the way to the line,” said de Souza, who was having his second success from just three rides at this course.
The three-year-old now has the King George V Handicap on his agenda, a race won last year by Admiral after finishing third in this race.
“He’s in the King George and could definitely go there,” said Beckett from his home. “But he needs good ground as he ran once on firm last season and it was a disaster.”
Mark Johnston’s Golden Quest sprang a 20-1 surprise when galloping on strongly to beat Dr Sharp by two and a half lengths in the 888.com Poker Stakes.
The winner’s more-fancied stablemate Contact Dancer was a further head away in third in the two-mile contest.
Golden Quest hit the front two furlongs out and powered clear to put a disappointing reappearance at Salisbury well behind him.
“We really liked him last year and we don’t know why he ran so badly at Salisbury, so we gave him a bit of time off and he’s bounced back,” said the trainer’s wife Deirdre.
“We were trying this trip for the first time, but we always thought he’d like it.”
Mrs Johnston was also full of praise for winning jockey Greg Fairley, saying of the 17-year-old from Hawick: “It was a great ride and he’s a super lad.
“I think that’s only his eighth or ninth ride and he’s already had three winners. He comes from the same background as Keith Dalgleish and I can’t recommend him highly enough.”
However, Fairley picked up a two-day ban for careless riding (June 19 and 20).
King Orchisios looked a promising juvenile when dominating throughout in the 888.com Casino EBF Maiden Stakes over five furlongs.
Neil Callan jumped out in front on the 5-1 shot and never looked in danger of defeat, scoring by three lengths from 5-2 favourite Serevi.
“He’s got lots of natural speed and he’s just a nice horse,” said trainer Kevin Ryan.
“He had them all going after half a furlong and that’s the sign of a good sort.
“I will probably make an entry for him in the Norfolk and the Windsor Castle but he’s a nice horse with a big future and Royal Ascot is not the be-all and end-all.
“We like him a lot and we want to protect him a bit this year.”
Kerrin McEvoy gained some consolation for not having a ride in the Derby when bagging a late 47-1 double on Balavista and Benedict.
Roger Charlton’s Balavista (5-1) was another to win from the front in the 888.com Pacific Poker Handicap Stakes over a mile, with McEvoy looking to have plenty in hand as the four-year-old made light of his 9st 9lb burden to beat Libre by a comfortable one and a quarter lengths.
John Berry’s Benedict (7-1) hit the front two furlongs out and kept on strongly to beat Paparaazi by three lengths in the 888.com Casino-On-Net Handicap Stakes.
