Harvest Dancer takes Goodwood prize
Harvest Dancer overcame considerable inexperience to justify solid support in the Family Fun On 31st May Maiden Stakes at Goodwood.
The chestnut colt is evidently well-liked by trainer Brian Meehan but looked as if he was still starting on the learning process when second on his reappearance at Newmarket. Punters were nevertheless content to side with him as the 6-5 favourite.
Both Harvest Dancer and runner-up Spa's Dancer were prominent on the far side of the track but ended up pulling right over to the stands rail and the superior kick of the former saw him come home a length and a quarter in front.
Meehan's assistant Patrick McEwan said: "He was brilliantly ridden by Martin Dwyer. He's a lovely horse with a lovely temperament but is still a big baby - when Richard Hughes (Spa's Dancer) went across, he followed."
Neil Callan had a mixture of experiences aboard Sikeeb, who won the EBF goodwood.com Maiden Stakes but dumped his rider on the turf on the bend after the winning post.
Sikeeb (9-4) was second to the useful-looking Retainer on his debut at Newmarket and showed the benefit of that experience as the Clive Brittain-trained juvenile held Dr Green by a length.
A special mention was owed to Trade Storm, who totally missed the break but ran on for fourth.
Callan said: "He looked at the bend after the line, I sat back and he just ducked.
"I hurt my coxyx the other day so I'm still a bit sore, but I'm OK."
Callan then looked like he had pinched the totepool A Better Way To Bet Classified Stakes only for Hughes and Cumulus Nimbus to come from the clouds and deprive him close home.
Richard Hannon admitted whatever Cumulus Nimbus (15-2) achieved at the Sussex course was a bonus on his first run since October and Hughes was pushing along and still had about five lengths to make up on Callan and Gumnd at the furlong pole.
But the pair sailed through the final couple of hundred yards and got up by a neck.
"He tears a bit at home and we have been trying to settle him down all year in training so I didn't expect too much," said Hannon.
"He still hasn't come in his coat and could run in the Britannia."
Total Command is bred to be a smart stayer as a brother to St Leger runner-up Quiff and he saw out the mile and a half of division one of the June 4th Evening Racing Maiden Stakes best of all.
Michael Stoute's Sadler's Wells colt, out of the 1000 Guineas winner Wince, was the 6-5 favourite after running quite well on his reappearance at Newbury.
His win was not completely straightforward, as Bombadero pushed Total Command and Richie Mullen all the way to the line, with half a length between them.
Jimmy Scott, the trainer's travelling head lad, said: "He's still green and wasn't happy on the ground - he wants a bit more cut.
"He'll be a nice horse when he goes a bit further - he's probably a mile and six horse."
