Stoute continues big-race run
Sir Michael Stoute’s fantastic hot streak in stakes races continued with Jeremy bagging a thrilling victory in the Cheveley Park Stud King Charles II at Newmarket.
Wake Up Maggie looked sure to repel Stoute’s charge as the pair slugged it out between themselves in the final furlong.
But Jeremy, the 15-8 market leader, gave it one big last effort under jockey Robert Winston to get up in the shadow of the post for a neck triumph.
Stoute is now intending to head to Royal Ascot with the son of Danehill Dancer.
“I’m delighted. I think this was a really good performance. The runner-up is a good filly,” he said.
“He has got such tenacity and, although he handles that ground, I’d prefer him on a better surface with his rhythm. The Jersey Stakes is now the plan.”
Chris Wall admitted to having reservations about running the 1000 Guineas fifth Wake Up Maggie in the prevailing soft ground.
But he said: “She’s ran well and there’s no excuses really. The colt has just proved a bit stronger coming out of the Dip on that ground.
“Better ground would have suited us more. But we can’t complain. We had the run of the race.”
Wall will now mull over whether to re-oppose the winner in the Jersey or return Wake Up Maggie to a mile for a shot at the Coronation Stakes.
The other Listed contest went to the Brian Meehan-trained Red Rocks, who delivered a four-length beating to runner-up Degas Art in the Shadwell Estates Fairway Stakes.
The Galileo colt, the 15-8 favourite, tracked the pace set for much of the race by Markovitch before going on over two furlongs out.
Meehan’s charge never looked like stopping and scored for the second time on the trot following a victory at Windsor last time out.
Jamie McCalmont, racing manager to winning owner J Paul Reddam, said: “I think he goes to Ascot for the King Edward VII.
“This was an excellent performance. He prefers top of the ground but after today you’d say he goes on any ground.
“He’s won two races from two starts this year. You can’t argue with that.”
Borehan looks still to be very much on the upgrade, completing a hat-trick with an emphatic win in the valuable Coral Sprint handicap.
He soon led under jockey Philip Robinson and never relinquished his hold of the £45,000 contest, speeding to a one-and-three-quarter length victory from Signor Peltro.
Roger Varian, assistant to winning trainer Michael Jarvis, said: “That was very pleasing and he is progressing.
“We weren’t sure how he’d handle ground this soft but he got it through OK.”
Local trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam recorded a 40-1 double courtesy of Cousteau and Tariq.
The latter was an emphatic debut winner in the EBF Maiden to provide Chapple-Hyam with his first juvenile scorer of 2006.
The son of Kyllachy, 14-1 in the market, may be bound for Royal Ascot after this three and a half length victory.
Chapple-Hyam said: “I may bring him back to five furlongs as he shows so much speed. We might have a go at the Norfolk Stakes with him.”
Cousteau initiated the double for the Chapple-Hyam team and jockey Eddie Ahern, making all for a comfortable 7-4 result in the first division of the Persimmon Homes Maiden Stakes.
The handler said: “He’s a decent horse, who will have a bit of a break now. I will stick to a mile with him and we may go abroad for a Listed race or something like that.”
Barry Hills sent out both the winner and the runner-up in the second division of the race with 100-30 joint favourite Muzher beating stablemate Uno by three-quarters of a length.
Music Note had been off the track for 253 days but was more than straight enough to claim the Sunley Handicap.
He was always handy and then responded well when jockey Tony Culhane shook him up over two furlongs out. The Indian Ridge colt, trained by Mick Channon, was soon in the clear before running out a two-and-a-half length winner ahead of Motaraqeb.
Finalmente, a 10-1 shot, prevailed in the concluding NGK Spark Plugs Handicap, wearing down long-time leader Quizzene for a one-length win.
