Royal double for Godolphin
Ladbrokes handed Truly Royal an introductory quote of 20-1 for the 2000 Guineas after he raced to a three-length debut success in the Anglo Hibernian Bloodstock Insurance EBF Maiden Stakes at Newmarket.
William Hill and totesport were slightly less impressed by the newcomer, responding to the victory with 33-1 quotes.
The Frankie Dettori-ridden Noverre colt tracked the pace for much of the six-furlong race before really taking the eye with his burst of speed as he came out of The Dip.
The 2-1 favourite sped clear of Danny Templeton in the closing strides to provide a boost for Godolphin, who have sent out just two juvenile winners this term.
Trainer Saeed bin Suroor said: “He is a horse I have always liked and he ran well.
“Talking to Frankie, he said that the horse needed the race and will improve for it. You can see the horse carries some condition.
“He has a good turn of foot and – by Noverre – he is a mile horse for next year. There is no plan at the moment; he will maybe have one more run this year before we take him to Dubai.”
Counterpunch completed a good day for Godolphin – and Dettori – when rattling up his hat-trick in the National Stud Handicap.
The unbeaten Halling gelding successfully shouldered a 6lb victory for a Windsor win 10 days ago, coming home to prevail a shade cosily by a neck from Alessano.
Firenze thundered home from out the back to nail a neck victory in the EBF Boadicea Fillies’ Stakes and emulate the feat of her elder sister Frizzante.
The latter won the six-furlong Listed race in 2003 before going on to take the Group One July Cup the following summer.
While Firenze may not go on to hit such heights, she still displayed a flashing turn of foot under jockey Jamie Spencer to rein in Ripples Maid.
Her trainer James Fanshawe said: “She will stay in training next year and should be a nice prospect.
“She is a really tough filly and will be fun to campaign.”
In the eight-race card’s other Listed event, Innocent Air returned to top form with a sparkling success in the Lanwades Stud Several Stakes.
The Galileo filly appeared to have a bright future ahead of her when scoring in a Listed race at Newbury as a juvenile.
However, until her latest engagement, it hadn’t happened for her in 2006 as she failed to make the frame in three previous engagements.
It was a different story altogether on the Rowley Mile as jockey Martin Dwyer sent the 16-1 chance to the front after two furlongs in the mile-and-a-quarter race.
She went clear over a furlong out before running on at the end as Anna Pavlova threw down a late challenge.
Innocent Air went on to win by a length and a quarter, with a further three and a half lengths back to Summer’s Eve.
Victorious trainer John Gosden said: “She wasn’t right in the spring this year and then we brought her back another time. But she just hasn’t come to herself.”
Hungerford-based Clive Cox has his string in decent form and Perfect Star ran out a pleasing winner of the first division of the Usk Valley Stud Median Auction Maiden. The Act One filly, sent off a 7-2 shot, made all to score by a length from the favourite Palamoun.
Cox had a link with the 7-2 winner of the second division of the race, Tredegar. The Elite Racing-owned colt was with Cox earlier in the season before joining Paul Cole’s team.
Tredegar broke his maiden at the third time of asking as he got the better of We’ll Come after a titanic battle, which ended with a three-quarters of a length margin.
Ladies Best continued his rise through the ranks with a one-length victory in the Alec Stewart Nursery.
Bruce Raymond, racing manager to winning owner Saeed Suhail, said: “He might make a nice progressive handicapper next year. He will obviously stay well.”
