Blue skies, and ice creams, mixed in with cuddly mascots and
something for the kids to shout about, Windsor Racecourse opened its gates for
two days of racing in the late summer sunshine.
Seven races on offer, good to
firm racing ground that was described by the jockeys as perfect,
Chatting to Clerk of the Course Jeff Green who mentioned.
'I watered during the week, and the ground is riding well, I will put another 4 mm of water on
the course for Monday night’s racing so it is safe racing ground for the
horses, but we are still offering fresh racing ground for the horses at this
time of the season which is good, and also I’m looking forward to the Sprint
final in a few weeks’ time when I again I would like to offer some untouched
ground.’
A busy time for the racecourse, a busy time still for the
flat racing fraternity.
Wantage trainer Henry Candy saddled the winner of the first,
5/4 fav Angle down winning the maiden auction stakes for two year olds over six
furlongs.
Oisin Murphy on board mentioned. ‘He gets every yard of the trip, but
needs positive riding, he is a horse that has improved with each run.’
The
two-year-old colt by Kyllachy a possible runner next time out in the Goffs
Premier yearling stakes at York in a few weeks’ time and could be one to watch,
his form certainly on the improve.
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| Angle down winning the maiden auction stakes for two year olds over six furlongs. |
Keeping on a local front, Lambourn trainer Sylvester Kirk
had a good afternoons work in the Berkshire sunshine. Two winners for the
afternoon, both ridden by George Baker who is as he mentioned, ‘is in good form at
the moment, and long may it continue.’
The first being Salouen in the two-year-old maiden stakes
over a mile. The well bred colt by Canford Cliffs out of a Galileo mare on his
fifth outing has ran over the six to seven furlong mark, but good ground, and a mile
has seen this nice type win well, beating star archer by three lengths.
‘You
are going to get an easy mile here more than anywhere, and the race seemed to
be run at a good pace,’ mentioned the trainer.'I have nothing in the plan for
him, but he would be a type that would get further due to his breeding and he
could be a nice horse for us, he has broken the track record over a mile for
two year olds today so possibly could be a black type sort of horse we will
have to see.’
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| Salouen |
The down to earth trainer, softly spoken trainer,chanted passionately
about his charges without a hint of whoop and woo, and again could be said has
his second winner of the afternoon Pink Ribbon who won the one mile two
furlongs’ handicap for three year olds and upwards again ridden by George
baker who mentioned,
'Sylvester’s horses are in good form at present, and it
makes for a easier time of it when they are, I think he has had about seven
winners in the last week, so it's great to be a part of.’
 |
| Pink Ribbon |
The trainer in a ‘purple patch’ as he mentioned at present reported.
'To go out on the gallops and see the horses at present dose your
heart good, and it is certainly showing in the way they are all running, this
horse has been consistent in his level, and would make a lovely jumping horse,
so would be hard to place onwards, but a lovely horse no doubt.’
The four-year-old on four wins from twenty eight runs had to
be motivated to take his race, but in the end beating the 11/4 fav Zephyros three
and a half lengths back in third.
The Lambourn trainer mentioned,’ what’s helped us this
season is we have a nice lot of two year olds in, we have had about ten winning
two year olds from about twenty in the stables, so with a small string compared
to the bigger stables we have to take these purple patches and make them count, the bigger yards
can be more consistent.’
A yard to watch and take note at the moment, the trainer
places his charges well, and would be one to follow.
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| 'I have nothing in the plan for him, but he would be a type that would get further due to his breeding and he could be a nice horse for us, he has broken the track record over a mile for two year olds today so possibly could be a black type sort of horse we will have to see.’ |
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| 'To go out on the gallops and see the horses at present dose your heart good, and it is certainly showing in the way they are all running, this horse has been consistent in his level, and would make a lovely jumping horse, so would be hard to place onwards, but a lovely horse no doubt |
The long distance race of the afternoon, the one mile three
furlong handicap for three year olds, went to the national hunt training
establishment of John Jenkins.
Tasty Ginger ridden by Adam Kirby another jockey on a double
for the afternoon, kept the gelding up to his work in the final furlong to beat
Mister Showman by two lengths.
‘He has had a little wander to the centre of the
track, but that was understandable, he’s a horse that hasn’t won before and
continues to improve, he probably could do with going a little further.’
 |
| Tasty Ginger |
The gelding running in blinkers is a new addition to the
Royston yard of Mr Jenkins who mentioned, ‘I don’t think he needs the head gear
really, but he has had them on running in Ireland for Paul Deegan so I thought
I’d better keep them on, I’ll probably run him a few more times on the flat and
then over hurdles, we have schooled him over a hurdle and he jumps well, Davy
Russell has schooled him and he went well, and he stays so possibly two miles
over hurdles would be his target.’
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| 'I’ll probably run him a few more times on the flat and then over hurdles, we have schooled him over a hurdle and he jumps well.' |
Adam Kirby’s second winner of the afternoon came in the
shape of the Clive Cox trained Laidback Romeo in the four runner mile handicap.
The 6/4fav ran on under pressure well, though running a little to the left to
record his fourth win from fifteen runs.
The jockey mentioned, ‘the race was run to suit him, a good
gallop throughout, you couldn’t ask anymore of him.’
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| Laidback Romeo |
The trainer who again like Sylvester Kirk training out of
Lambourn is like the fore mentioned in his ‘purple patch.’
‘With top weight Adam
has given this horse a lovely ride in a small field, he is a horse that has
progressed, but seems to love this summer ground, he wants a stiff mile or a
mile and a half, but he is a type we would take one step at a time.’
Note should be taken that the four-year-old by Kodiac was
giving weight all round and to run on well to take the race by a length from Raising Sand is no
mean feat.
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| ‘With top weight Adam has given this horse a lovely ride in a small field, he is a horse that has progressed.' |
The William Haggas trained Gravity Flow won the fillies three-year-old
handicap over the straight six furlongs at Windsor, ridden by Pat Cosgrove the
2/1 joint fav ran on well to beat Battlement and George Baker looking
for his treble by two lengths.
‘She is a type of filly with plenty of speed and
loves the fast ground, and is going the right way,’ mentioned the jockey who
took the three year old by Exceed and Excel to her third win from five starts.
 |
The next step for this William Haggas charge would be a step
up in contest the Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum horse would be one for the
note books and one to watch at present, but on a fast track with good summer
ground could throw up a nice black type sort of race.
|
The final race of the afternoon a one mile three furlong
amateur race saw another eventful contest. Last week’s amateur event at Monday
nights racing the Berkshire course saw two horses loose on the track.
Seven
days later the winner from that race Jersey Jewel was badly hampered
approaching the intersection of the figure of eight track giving young jockey
Charlotte Greenway no chance of staying on the race favourite.
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| Charlotte Greenway no chance of staying on the race favourite. |
This left the race open and another young jockey,
nineteen-year-old Molly King with an easy victory on the Peter Hiatt trained
Shirataki.
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| Shirataki. |
‘I couldn’t believe
how well he was going at the end, it’s his first win on turf for ages,
and after a month off he has come back well, he is such a lovely horse.’
The
young amateur on her third winner has just finished her A levels and is another
jockey on her way to University.
‘I’m riding out for Peter Hiatt in the summer
holidays before University so it’s lovely to get a winner for him.’
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| ‘I couldn’t believe how well he was going at the end, it’s his first win on turf for ages, and after a month off he has come back well, he is such a lovely horse.’ |
A quick turnaround now for the Windsor racecourse staff for
the following days racing, who knows what it will bring for Monday night at
Windsor races.
