Hooray for Prescott filly
Hooray was an impressive all-the-way winner of the Adnams Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket today.
Making the most of the far side draw, Seb Sanders grabbed the rail on the Mark Prescott-trained filly.
The 7-2 favourite always had a clear advantage over her rivals and won unchallenged for owners the Cheveley Park Stud from Rimth and Maqaasid.
Sanders said: "Her best performance was on very quick round. I was a bit disappointed with her at Newbury on softish ground, but that was a different sort of soft ground. It was watered ground that had been rained on, but she handled this ground today.
"She is improving all the time and was very impressive.
"She is very fractious early doors and we thought holding her up and trying to get her relaxed was the right thing to do.
"It was probably the right thing to do at the time. Once they start making the running there is no return really.
"She has took to it really well and has done nothing wrong since we started making the running with her.
"She is professional in the morning. It's just when we get down to the stalls she gets edgy."
Prescott added: "I didn't think she would handle the ground. When they are as useful as she is on very hard ground, the unknown factor is when he starts to rain.
"I was very worried about the rain because I thought if it stayed firm she was probably the best filly. It looks like the trainer was wrong again.
"She has kept improving and I think when we stopped restraining her and let her get on and do what she wanted that was the making of her.
"I thought she was very impressive. At the top of the hill you had a lovely feeling of seeing if anything was going well behind her. That's a rare thing in a Group One.
"As for the 1000 Guineas I wouldn't think she'd stay. I hope I keep on being wrong.
"She has got bags of speed and she would have a job to keep that up for a mile.
"The owners would probably love to have a go if she does well through the winter but we have always regarded her as principally a two-year-old."
Paul Cole, trainer of runner-up Rimth, said: "She's had one or two bits of bad luck this season but she has tried her heart out, unfortunately the other filly has improved again. I'm not sure if she's a Guineas filly."
Maqaasid's trainer John Gosden remarked: "She didn't like the ground, but it was a great performance by the winner. We will probably bring her back for a Guineas trial."
Ragsah was fourth for Godolphin and their racing manager Simon Crisford added: "She has not had a lot of luck so far, but hopefully she'll get the rub of the green some time."
