Racing: Maureen’s Ascot triumph

Published on 30/07/2012 00:00

UNLUCKY losers do not always come up trumps in their next race, but Maureen made up for a desperate passage at Newmarket to win the Princess Margaret Juddmonte Stakes at Ascot in tremendous style.

The top races for two-year-old fillies such as the Lowther and Cheveley Park Stakes now beckon for Richard Hannon’s charge after she followed up her second place on the Cherry Hinton with victory in this Group three.

Whether she can develop into a 1000 Guineas contender, however, is open to question.

Richard Hughes chartered a smooth path through the race, pushing the 5-6 favourite two and a quarter lengths clear of Sandreamer.

“I know people have said she’s small, but she’s a good mover,” said Hannon’s son and assistant, Richard jnr, who is planning ahead. “She’s one of the best two-year-olds around. She’ll probably go on to the Lowther Stakes and then the Cheveley Park.”

Even victory in Europe’s most valuable five-furlong handicap did not provide Kieren Fox with a rosy outcome after the jockey was handed a seven-day whip ban (August 11-17).

He delivered Barnet Fair (7-1)right on the line of the £100,000 Betfred Mobile Sports Handicap. Skipping his sister-in-law’s wedding for the ride on Richard Guest’s gelding, he carried out instructions to the letter on the habitual slow-starter and picked off Taajub by a neck.

Roger Varian is set to keep Sri Putra to just below the top level after his stable stalwart gained a valuable triumph in the Group Two Sky Bet York Stakes.

A regular in Group Ones without success, the six-year-old won for just the seventh time in 28 starts and showed that he has not lost his appetite for racing by registering his first British Group Two win.

The Newmarket trainer put in Pekan Star as a pacemaker and equipped Sri Putra (12-1) with blinkers and a hood.

The plan worked as the entire defeated Afsare by a hard-fought neck in the hands of Neil Callan.

Varian said: “I’d like to plan an international campaign for him going into the autumn. Where that will take us we’ll see.”

Elusive Kate gave jockey William Buick and trainer John Gosden yet another Group One winner in a golden summer after making all the running in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville.

Elusive Kate already had positive experiences of the Normandy course as she landed two events there last year.

Buick was able to dictate just a steady pace and was never really challenged until the final furlong, when Andre Fabre’s Golden Lilac was released for her run, but Elusive Kate already had the prize in the bag.

Andrew Balding’s Highland Knight, meanwhile, claimed a first victory above handicap level in the Listed Skybet Supporting The Yorkshire Racing Summer Festival Pomfret Stakes at Pontefract.

SELECTIONS

Ayr

2.10 Majestic Moon

2.35 Dutch Heritage

3.05 Private Story

3.40 Emeralds Spirit

4.15 All For You

4.45 Lord Franklin

5.20 Military Call (nap)

Lingfield

2.25 Redair

2.55 Spicy

3.30 No Jet Lag

4.05 Bint Alzain

4.35 Aniseed

5.10 Palus San Marco

5.40 Norfolk Sky

Uttoxeter

5.50 Inch Rover

6.20 Sarah Collins

6.50 Turner Brown

7.20 Molaise Lad

7.50 Allerford Jack

8.20 Makena

8.50 Gud Day

Wolverhampton

6.00 Clean Blow

6.30 White Deer

7.00 Glastonberry

7.35 Rising Legend

8.05 Bouncy Bouncy

8.35 Maggie Mey

9.05 Nimble Thimble

Yarmouth

2.15 Jumeirah Moon

2.45 Wordsaplenty

3.15 Soap Wars

3.50 Frognal

4.25 Light Burst

4.55 Marmalade Moon

5.30 Cloudy Start