Doctor dashes to victory

Jeff Smith looks to have another smart juvenile in his ownership after Doctor Dash showed plenty of speed to capture the Listed Weatherbys Bank Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury today.

With his Opera Cape having already scored in the Solario Stakes last week, Smith’s famous purple and blue colours were back in the winner’s enclosure as his Dr Fong colt took the mile showpiece.

Despite being sent off at 16-1, Doctor Dash showed a telling turn of foot to get off the mark at the third time of asking following defeats at Newbury and this track.

After being settled towards the back of the field, David Elsworth’s charge made good late headway to beat Godolphin’s Emirates Gold (7-1) by a length, with 6-5 favourite Jeu De Mot a neck away in third.

Smith, who bred the winner at his Littleton Stud, said: “He is bred for the mile and is entered in the Racing Post, Champagne and Dewhurst Stakes.”

Elsworth added: “That was better than when he got left at this track. I have always thought a lot of him and we must be boosted by that performance.”

Winning rider Liam Keniry said: “When he started to stay on nicely it gave me a lovely feeling.”

The jockey had earlier picked up a three-day ban for careless riding (September 6-8) after finishing fifth on Indecent Proposal in the second division of the Wadworth 6X Maiden Auction Stakes.

Stormy Monday (10-1) landed that six-furlong race by three-quarters of a length under Kerrin McEvoy, with Ten To the Dozen second and Hotham taking third.

The latter’s jockey Dane O’Neill was given a one-day ban (September 6) for careless riding.

“You never know what you’re going to come across in races like this and I am pleasantly surprised,” said winning trainer John Hills.

“Kerrin rode her well and she has settled down nicely since she refused to enter the stalls at Newbury. A little nursery will suit her next time and then I’ll put her away.”

The marathon mile-and-six-furlong gamebookers.com Handicap produced the closest finish of the day, with 25-1 shot In Deep prevailing by a neck and a short head from Mersey Sound and Krasivi’s Boy.

Nerys Dutfield’s filly, who was partnered by Richard Thomas, was notching a first success this season.

“I’ve never had her looking better than she is today. She just battles on and on and when she gets in a fight, she really revels in it,” said Dutfield.

Thomas was ending a 62-day barren streak but there was a sting in the tail as he received a five-day ban having been found guilty of using his whip with excessive frequency.

Underscore finished runner-up on his racecourse debut at Windsor earlier this month and showed improvement to romp home under Jimmy Fortune in the Hurst Financial Consultancy Maiden Stakes.

John Gosden’s 2-1 favourite came right away when slamming Seasons Parks by six lengths in the mile race.