Wednesday 28 June 2017

ROYAL WINDSOR THE WEEKS AFTER ROYAL ASCOT 26 JUNE 2017

With the Royal Ascot meeting still very fresh in the mind of all, the Berkshire faithful wanting still to get out in the sun and sample the refinery of British flat racing in the Royal county.
Seven races for the evening meeting on the figure of eight course nestled by the Thames to offer, medium sized fields but good proper racing, good ground that allowed the participants to run full throttle, made for some good contests.
Two names that over the years have been  a surety to claim winners at the course over the years all with winners.
Richard Hannon with a brace of winners for the evening with Flying North in the 1 mile 2 furlong Handicap.
Flying North
And  Wefait in the 1 mile 3 furlong Handicap.

Wefait
Both at good odds the first off at 12-1 the second winner at 5-1. Both winning in close fought contests by a length.
National  Hunt National winning jockey Timmy Murphy riding Flying North mentioned.

'She is bred to stay so we have had to use her pace tactically, i manged to get a breather into her around the bend as i was in front, i knew i had the horse under me and she won well.'
The three year old by Ravens Pass out of a Cape Cross mare certainly has the pedigree to stay well, staying power needed at the Berkshire course, now with a win from seven starts this filly seems to be finding her mark, at 12/1 a price we may not get again, beating the other fancied hannon favorite Mouille Point three lengths back in third the jockey very positive on this strong looking filly.


5/1 shot Wefait ridden by Sean Levey seemed to hang left a little on taking the race a furlong out, the jockey mentioning.

'He has done this nicely tonight really, he has had a few runs early on in the season and i though always has been a progressive type, he hasn't been out of the first five in all of his runs and his hearts in the right place, he always seems to be trying which is a good thing.'
The three year old by Harbour Watch on his eighth run of the colts career, and a second winner for the jockey on the day, the other being on Sarah Hollinshead's Castlerea Tess at Chepstow.


Richard Hughes, a name connected with the Hannon's at Windsor Monday nights racing when riding, trained the winner of the last race of the evening a five furlong dash handicap.
Zavikon a three year old colt by Compton Place on his sixth run took the race well driven out by Sean Kelly to certify his favorite price ranking going off at 5/2.

Zavikon
Taking the nine runner field by half a length from Mick Channon's Lightoller, the colt was ridden off the pace that throughout the evening seemed sharp and took the centre ground two out to take the race on.
Connections and trainer thrilled with the win mentioned he had deserved his win, finally getting his nose in front. Not the biggest, yet no need to be for a sprinter, but looking all the part a coiled athlete in the winners enclosure and could be one to note from the Hughes string.

Taking the nine runner field by half a length from Mick Channon's Lightoller, the colt was ridden off the pace, that throughout the evening seemed sharp,and took the centre ground two out to take the race on.
The start of the meeting though started well enough for the bookmakers, Jamie Osborne's Boomerang Betty taking the two year old maiden under Dougie Costello at 22/1 in a six furlong sprint.
The Havana Gold debutante again ridden off a good pace was ridden patiently by the jockey who only produced the  filly in the final furlong to take the race by half a length from Marcus Tregoning's Exceedingly Diva.
Boomerang Betty (No12) takes the race by half a length from Marcus Tregoning's Exceedingly Diva (No14)
'She is a very honest filly,' mentioned the jockey. 'Jamie's horse are going well at the moment and he always trains them to improve off their opening run, but she is a honest short.'
The trainer mentioned she had been working well at home and was quietly hopeful coming to the races, despite the big price.
Pandemonium in the paddock before the race tough did nothing to upset the filly. Horses running loose and an accident to a stable lad in the saddling boxes saw the field well on their toes before the off.
This filly should be one to watch, the trainer pleased with her win and mentioning she had a good brain, with progression maybe one to note.
Boomerang Betty  under Dougie Costello
Current champion jockey Jim Crowley, with what he calls a good Royal Ascot without having winners, bought home Charlie Hills Plutonian in the Mile maiden.
Making all in the race the three year old colt by Ravens Pass was impressive in his ten length victory from Violet's lads off his third ever run.

The jockey mentioned,'he has one very well for sure but it wasn't the greatest of tests for him so time will tell, but he is a very nice sort.'
Talking to the trainer who said he liked the the  three year old and was a nice improving type.
One to watch I feel, not a great deal of chat about him other than what racegoers saw of his win. Just how good the race was it maybe important to note the placed horses on how their form progresses to gauge the true form of the son of Ravens Pass.

Jim Crowley on  Plutonian

Rod Millman trained the winner of the next a mile handicap, ridden by in form young jockey Oisin Murphy Sir Plato the 7/2 shot beat the 6/4 favorite in Rumpole from the Hughie Morrison yard by a short head in a stride for stride contest onto the line.
The three year old by Sir Prancealot on his fourth win from ten starts did enough to get the job done, the jockey commenting, 'This fella is small but gutsy for sure, four wins this year he is a nice horse to get on, the rest of the horses in the yard are well to.'
The jockey with a positive Royal Ascot, a win on Benbati in the Hampton court mentioned, 'I've come in for some stick for my across the line celebration that is for sure, I'm not sure what I was doing, I was lost in the moment for sure, Sheikh Fahad mentioned I need more practice.'

 Oisin Murphy Sir Plato the 7/2 shot beat the 6/4 favorite in Rumpole from the Hughie  Morrison yard by a short head in a stride for stride contest onto the line.

The feature race of the evening the six furlong sprint series qualifier was again taken by a short margin, and again another favorite beaten to the line.
Karl Burke's Parnassian ridden by Ben Curtis well under pressure in the final furlong ran on well to beat  Amanda Perrett's Open Wide by  three quarters of a length coming onto the line.
Three wins from nine runs the Elzaam three year old colt had come on well from his  five length second at Pontefract a few weeks back, the jockey mentioning.
 the three year old head back to Northern tracks to continue his progression, but the occasional dip into the south may see this one come in for the series finale in August to scoop the £75'000 prize.

'He is a very honest sort, once he got his head up there he ran on well, he dos'nt really need much pushing he is honest enough to go on for you. He was unlucky at Pontefract  the winner going on to win more races so the form has worked well,but he has come here and got the job done today.'
More like we may see this three year old head back to Northern tracks to continue his progression, but the occasional dip into the south may see this one come in for the series finale in August to scoop the £75'000 prize.
Parnassian ridden by Ben Curtis