Stoute strikes juvenile double at Nottingham
Michael Stoute can usually be relied upon to have a smart batch of three-year-olds and Tajaaweed and Patkai looked as though they should pay their way in 2008 after making winning debuts at Nottingham.
The Newmarket maestro, taking his domestic tally for the campaign to 102, was absent but his duo duly did the business in contrasting styles.
Tajaaweed earned quotes of 25-1 and 33-1 for the Derby after opening his account at the first attempt in the first division of the WBX.COM 0% Commission On Day’s Big Maiden Stakes over an extended mile.
Always going smoothly for Richard Hills, the Dynaformer colt bounded clear to win by five lengths from Hyde Lea Flyer.
“We were a bit worried about the ground, but it didn’t bother him and I didn’t think it was too bad. He’s a nice horse,” said Stoute’s travelling head lad Jimmy Scott.
“He did it very well – he was the only horse travelling.”
Patkai completed the 7.4-1 brace when appearing late on the scene to take division two.
The 11-10 favourite overcame trouble in running and had to be rousted by Ryan Moore but he found an extra gear in the final furlong to beat Etruscan by a length and a quarter.
“He got a little bit squeezed up. Ryan pulled him out, the horse knew his job and did it well. I thought Ryan rode a lovely race,” said Scott.
“Tajaaweed might run again but Patkai might not. He’s had two runs now. Coming here has done them both good.”
Eric Alston may have a successor to stable star Reverence in the shape of his half-sister Quiet Elegance.
The juvenile filly has only been in training with the Preston-based handler for about 10 weeks but she looked a natural winning division two of the EBF/WBX.COM £25 Bet For New Accounts Maiden Stakes.
Her half-brother, winner of the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes and Betfred Sprint Cup last year, has been out of luck this season but the 11-1 shot made no mistake in the same colours of her owner/breeders, Mr and Mrs Gary Middlebrook.
“She’s a very quick filly. We’ve waited for the rain for her. She’s only been in about 10 weeks, so I’ve rushed her a bit,” said Alston.
“I didn’t want to send her over six furlongs and there were only two five-furlong races for her – the other one was at Catterick on Tuesday. I thought that course might be a bit undulating for her.
“I put her in here and hoped it rained – and it did. Like her brother she will want some cut in the ground.”
Godolphin’s newcomer Envisage (6-4 favourite), ridden by Frankie Dettori, proved two and a half lengths too strong for Stoute’s Heavenward in the WBX.COM Free Football shirt For New Account Maiden Stakes.
Blue Jack (11-1) also made a winning debut in division one of the EBF/WBX.COM £25 Bet For New Accounts Maiden Stakes after a false start had delayed the race by several minutes.
The race got off smoothly at the second attempt and it was Blue Jack, trained by William Muir, who took the spoils by a length from Faber Hill Flyer.
The stewards inquired into the false start and found that the stalls had been activated in error by the stalls team leader.
He was examining the starting mechanism whilst investigating a malfunction and as the starter, Steve Taylor, had not activated the stalls, he implemented the false-start procedure.
James Doyle got a late run out of Cornus (11-2) to take the John Smith’s Handicap by three-quarters of a length from Steel Blue for Retford trainer Alan McCabe.
The Geoff Huffer-trained Vietnam collared long-time leader Etoile d’Or to win the John Smith’s Selling Handicap by two lengths under Steve Drowne. The 17-2 winner was retained by connections for 5,800 guineas.
Drowne completed a 141.5-1 double when making all the running on the Andrew Balding-trained Chantaco (14-1) in the WBX.COM 0% Commission On Day’s Big Race Handicap.
