Racing Ahead – August 2019

18

beaten Raffle Prize when the pair met
on their debuts at the Rowley Mile
course and was the 5/4 favourite with
Final Song at 100/30 and Raffle Prize
9/2.
Raffle Prize was soon in front racing
against the stands side rail travelling
strongly for Frankie Dettori. Final Song
raced close to the pace on the outside
with Daahyeh racing in midfield. Det-
tori gave Raffle Prize an excellent ride,
controlling the pace, shaken up with a
furlong and half to go, she stayed on
well to beat Daahyeh, who never got
close enough to challenge, by a length
and three quarters with Final Song one
paced inside the last 150 yards a head
away in third. Celtic Beauty never man-
aged to get involved finishing last of
the seven runners.
Raffle Prize not only broke the
course record set by Clemmie in the
corresponding race in 2017, she broke
the all-aged track record Gifted Master
set also in 2017, her time 1.09.09, 0.
seconds faster than the previous best.
It is worth noting this was one of six
track records to be broken on the day.
Raffle Prize followed Attraction in
completing the Queen Mary/Duchess
Of Cambridge double for her trainer
Mark Johnston who said after the race
she would be aimed at Group 1 compa-
ny next having won two Group 2 races,
with the Prix Morny at Deauville in
August a likely target.
The only race that didn’t see the
track record lowered was the 7f
maiden for two-year-olds. 12 of the 14
runners were making their racecourse
debuts, one of the two who had had a
run, KIPLING, second to subsequent
Chesham Stakes second Lope Y Fer-
nandez, was the well supported 7/
favourite for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan
Moore. Kipling travelled well in the lead
but was headed a furlong and a half
from the finish by strong travelling AL
SUHAIL, a 1.1 million guineas yearling
and half-brother to this year’s Dante
winner, Telecaster, who looked like win-
ning comfortably but was run out of it
close to the finish by AL MADHAR, a
newcomer from the Richard Hannon
yard (seventh newcomer to win on
debut for the yard), who won by a neck
with FIRST RECEIVER running well for
Sir Michael Stoute in third and TSAR

who shaped very well having missed

the break and wasn’t knocked about

by Frankie Dettori. Kipling faded inside

the last furlong to be fifth.

This is often one of the stronger

maidens of the summer and there

should be plenty of next time out win-

ners to emerge with the those

mentioned all capable of winning next

time.

The third day of the July Festival

began with a 7f maiden fillies race. Just

like the colt’s race on day two, only two

of the runners had had previous race-

course experience, albeit not showing

too much on their debuts, with six

newcomers in the line-up. Charlie

Appleby, who had gone close in the

colt’s maiden, had the favourite LIGHT

BLUSH and she just got the better of

CRAYLANDS from the Michael Bell

yard with AWARD SCHEME running on

well to be third for William Haggas.

Light Blush, a 435,000 guineas year-

ling by leading sire of two-year-olds,

Kodiac, was the 13th debut winner of

the year for the yard, the same number

they had in 2018. Both the second and

the third should have little trouble in

getting off the mark next time, whilst

Light Blush should hold her own in

Listed company.

The Group 2 Superlative Stakes over

7f was the final day two-year-old high-

light with five of the eight runners

having won their only starts. Charlie

Appleby was responsible for the

favourite, KING’S COMMAND, a narrow

winner over 6f at the track a few weeks

earlier. He just shaded favouritism

ahead of Aidan O’Brien’s representa-

tive YEAR OF THE TIGER. Richard

Hannon was doubly represented by

Haydock winner, MYSTERY POWER

(beat Subjectivist who won easily next

time) and Goodwood winner WILD

THUNDER. Also bidding to retain their

unbeaten records were another Hay-

dock winner, JUAN ELCANO from the

Kevin Ryan yard and Archie Watson’s

Sandown winner SHARED BELIEF.

King’s Command had every chance

from the front, but he faded tamely to

be last, whilst Year Of The Tiger didn’t

fare too much better, held up and

never managing to get involved, finish-

ing second to last. Mystery Power took

the lead with two and a half furlongs to

go and held off the challenges of Juan

Elcano and Maxi Boy inside the final

furlong to win by a length from Juan

Elcano with three and a quarter

lengths to Maxi Boy. Mystery Power

provided Richard Hannon with a

second win in the race having won in

2014 with Estidhkaar.

LISTED RACES

One filly who could easily have figured

in the Duchess Of Cambridge was LIB-

ERTY BEACH, who having finished

fourth in the Queen Mary, won the

Listed Dragon Stakes at Sandown on

July 5 impressively, quickening clear of

her rivals to win by three lengths from

DREAM SHOT who finished well from

the rear but was no danger to the

winner and RAYONG who ran much

better than he had done at Royal

Ascot.

Liberty Beach will be back in Group

company on her next start in either the

Prix Robert Papin, a race her trainer

John Quinn won in 2018 with Signora

Cabello, or the Lowther Stakes at York

in mid-August.

SUMMER ROMANCE won a weak

renewal of the Listed Empress

TALKING TWO-YEAR-OLDS

RACING AHEADISSUE 178

Guildsman

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