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Indigo Girl too good for May Hill rivals

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Indigo Girl defied a slow start and signs of greenness to triumph in the bet365 May Hill Stakes at Doncaster.

John Gosden’s filly had won her only previous start at Yarmouth and was sent off a 100-30 chance in what looked a strong Group Two.

The Clarehaven handler was winning the race for a fifth time, having last prevailed with Rainbow View in 2008 in the same George Strawbridge silks.

A sister to the Group One winner Journey, Indigo Girl broke awkwardly from the stalls which meant she was at the back of the field early.

However, she made eyecatching progress up the stands side with three furlongs to run and was soon challenging Dubai Fountain for the lead.

Her lack of experience told as she then jinked to her left, while favourite Zabeel Queen on the far side was also running off a straight line.

However, once Frankie Dettori was able to get her straightened up to a certain degree, the daughter of Dubawi went on to win by three-quarters of a length from Dubai Fountain, with Zabeel Queen a length away in third.

It was a quick double for Gosden and Dettori after Logician’s stroll earlier on the card and the winner was introduced into the 1000 Guineas betting at 14-1 by Paddy Power.

Gosden said: “She did it very smoothly at Yarmouth and she’s been in great form since. The race didn’t knock her back a bit – it was rather like a piece of work.

“If we’d gone for another novice race, she would have had to lump a lot of weight and I don’t like doing that with two-year-olds. You can end up giving 7lb to a Group horse and you don’t know it.

“The May Hill is a beautiful race over the straight mile. The track is in beautiful nick and I thought we’d bring her here and see if we could nick a bit of black type.

“She relaxed beautifully, which is key, and smoothly came through. I admit when she hit the front she ran around, but that’s the trainer’s fault because when I work them at home, I don’t like them bursting clear and breaking another one’s heart.

“She’s obviously got a lot of talent. As long as she continues to enjoy her racing,she can move upward.”

Considering future targets, the trainer added: “There are two options this year – the Prix Marcel Boussac and the Fillies’ Mile. We could look at either of those or wait until next year, we’ll just have to see at this stage.

“Her mother (Montare) won a Prix Royal-Oak and her full-sister (Journey) won the Fillies & Mares Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot over a mile and a half. Funnily enough, I see this one as more of a mile to a mile-and-a-quarter filly.

“She travels strong and has a great turn of foot.”

Indigo Girl won despite showing wayward tendencies
Indigo Girl won despite showing wayward tendencies (David Davies/PA)

Dettori said: “I rode Journey (her sister) and she’s the same type – not over-big, but she’s got loads of gears. It’s my first time on her.

“She travelled smoothly, quickened well, ran a bit green and went left and right, but it’s only her second start so you can excuse her for that.

“She’s from a talented family. Everything is in the right place and I really like her.

“She seems easier to handle than her siblings. She’s got a good future and is two from two and a Group Two (winner). Fingers crossed she can go all the way.”

Logician makes victorious return at Doncaster

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Last year’s St Leger winner Logician maintained his unbeaten record with a facile victory on his eagerly-awaited return in the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Conditions Stakes at Doncaster.

Facing only one rival in Charlie Appleby’s Mythical Magic, Logician was sent off a 1-12 shot and the manner of his win reflected that price.

A sick horse over the winter, he was back on track almost a year to the day since his Classic success on Town Moor, but he was racing over half a mile less.

Frankie Dettori bounced him out of the stalls and John Gosden’s grey was keen enough early, but he was not going fast enough for Mythical Magic, who took over briefly turning into the straight.

Once Dettori asked Logician to quicken, his sole rival could not go with him and he was ridden out with just hands and heels for a comfortable seven-length win.

Gosden said: “We’re very happy. He came here very composed and I always think in a race like that, go and set your own pace.

“William’s (Buick) horse (Mythical Magic) was keen in behind, so as soon as they got to the top of this long straight, he came and joined us. It was a nice, proper stretch – he’s finished very well and comfortable under hands and heels.

John Gosden gives Logician a pat after his comeback win
John Gosden gives Logician a pat after his comeback win (David Davies/PA)

“He’s having what I call a nice blow, not a stressful blow. You’ve got to remember this horse had two months in intensive care and I can have nothing but praise for the veterinarians at the Newmarket Equine Clinic for saving his life twice, so that he can be here today.

“We’re very pleased to see him back – it’s been a long road.”

As for the future, Gosden said: “There’ll be no immediate plans. He’s well entered in the autumn, but I’d like to see how he is in the next 10 days before even thinking about another race.

“If you’d seen him in the clinic, as I did – I thought I’d never see him again. Just to get him back here is extraordinary in itself.

“We couldn’t be more pleased at this stage, but I don’t want to commit to anything now.

“Anything is possible. We’re on the cusp of the autumn if we want to run again this year, but the horse will tell us.

“I think having missed most of this year, next season for a big, strapping horse like him, as a five-year-old, is very much a key option. I think one might have one’s mind focused on that, as much as anything else.

“We know a mile and a half is spot-on for him, so next year he’ll have races like the King George as an absolute target.”

Dettori told Sky Sports Racing: “It was a good effort by the team. I have hardly seen him this year, obviously. It’s well documented he’s been sick.

“I rode him the other morning. He didn’t give me the feel he gave me in the Leger, but he came to the races today, he went through the gears, he was moving well. OK it was a non-event, but at least we got him back.

“He’s a long way from where he was, but hopefully this race will bring him on and we’ve got him for next year, I hope.”

Line Of Departure completed a hat-trick for Roger Varian in the Weatherbys Racing Bank £200,000 2-Y-O Stakes.

After the colt failed to get his head in front in his first three starts, his Newmarket handler decided to dispose of the blinkers – and it seems to have done the trick, with Line Of Departure opening his account at Yarmouth before following up at Ascot last month.

A 15-2 shot for his latest assignment, the son of Mehmas responded to David Egan’s urgings to score by a length and a quarter from 7-2 joint-favourite Yazaman.

Varian said: “He’s done nothing but improve. I ran him in his first three starts in blinkers, because he didn’t show anything at home.

“I don’t know where the ceiling is with this horse – he gets better and better.”

Spright (left) claimed victory at Doncaster
Spright (left) claimed victory at Doncaster (David Davies/PA)

The Karl Burke-trained Spright (10-1) secured her third win from five career starts under a well-judged ride from Clifford Lee in the British Stallion Studs EBF “Carrie Red” Fillies’ Nursery.

Burke said: “I thought she was well handicapped and I twisted the arms of the owners, including David Redvers, to let her run.

“David definitely wanted to go for a Listed race to try to get some black type and make her more sellable, but it would have broken my heart to leave a £50,000 race behind without having a runner in it.

“We’ll definitely give her a shot at black type now. She’s in the Redcar Two Year Old Trophy (October 3), and there’s also the Bosra Sham at Newmarket at the end of October.”

Flying Frankie bags first Sceptre winner with Foxtrot Lady

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Frankie Dettori performed his trademark flying dismount for the spectators in attendance following victory aboard Foxtrot Lady in the bet365 Sceptre Fillies’ Stakes at Doncaster.

Andrew Balding’s mare was an 18-1 shot for the Group Three feature on the opening afternoon of the St Leger Festival.

However, sporting the colours of the great sprinting mare Lochsong, who he steered to multiple Group One wins in the early 1990s, the popular Italian once again weaved his magic in the saddle.

After being settled in behind rivals for much of the seven-furlong contest, Foxtrot Lady was produced with a well-timed challenge against the stands rail and proved a length and a quarter too strong for 7-2 favourite Althiqa, with Bounce The Blues a close-up third.

Dettori, who was winning the race for the first time, said: “Andrew booked me late and I didn’t know what to expect. It looked a wide-open event.

“I was lucky I had Andrea (Atzeni, on Cloak Of Spirits) next to me – he took the wind for me.

“There’s a bit of a headwind and I filled her with confidence and sat and had one run at it and she picked up – it’s as simple as that.”

A crowd of around 2,500 people were on Town Moor to witness Dettori’s victory – the first day of racing in front of a paying crowd in Britain since mid-March as part of a pilot event that was due to take place for the four days of the meeting.

That number was due to rise to around 6,000 for the Pertemps St Leger on Saturday, but it was announced on Wednesday afternoon racing will go back behind closed doors for the rest of the week.

“I didn’t really notice any difference with the crowd today as this place swallows 5,000 people,” Dettori added.

“It’s a shame that we have to go back again, but we have to keep people safe.

“You have to do what is safe for everyone, we all know the rules until we get this corona sorted.

“Let’s hope we come back to normal soon.”

All eyes on Logician in eagerly-awaited Doncaster comeback

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Logician is the undoubted star of the show on day two of the St Leger Festival at Doncaster, when he makes his first competitive appearance since winning the world’s oldest Classic 12 months ago.

The John Gosden-trained grey is unbeaten in five starts in all, but has been sidelined for much of the season after he suffered a life-threatening infection during the winter.

With Zaaki declared a non-runner after suffering with a bruised foot, the Khalid Abdullah-owned Logician faces a solitary rival in Mythical Magic in the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Conditions Stakes over a mile and a quarter – four and half furlongs shorter than the Leger.

Abdullah’s racing manager, Teddy Grimthorpe, said of Frankie Dettori’s mount: “It truly is good to see him back. It has been well documented he did have a serious illness, peritonitis, over the winter, so we are going slightly into the unknown with him.

“All the indications have been positive in terms of his well-being. His work has been progressive. He’s never been a fancy worker, so it’s always hard to tell what level he’s at, but John is happy enough with him, certainly.

“Of course, he’s going back to Doncaster which obviously was the scene of his most important triumph, albeit over a lesser distance.

“There’s only one other horse left in the race now. Hopefully it will be an important stepping stone.”

He added: “I think the most important thing is to get him back on track. There are all sorts of scenarios afterwards so there’s not much point in saying this or that.

“It’s a triumph in itself getting him back on track and in good form.

“Hopefully whatever he does, he will come on significantly for the race.”

Dettori teams up with old ally Dunlop in Leger Legends

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Ed Dunlop considers himself “honoured” to have Frankie Dettori riding Roca Magica for him in the Mondialiste Leger Legends Classified Stakes at Doncaster on Wednesday.

The 49-year-old Italian jockey has won just about everything in the game – and was determined to sign up for the race when conditions were changed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In the past it has been exclusively for retired riders, but this year it is for current professionals only, due to Covid-19 restrictions.

It has become an established attraction on the opening day of the St Leger Festival on Town Moor since its inception in 2010, and has raised more than £1.1million for Jack Berry House and the Northern Racing College.

Trainer Ed Dunlop was delighted to acquire the services of Frankie Dettori
Trainer Ed Dunlop was delighted to acquire the services of Frankie Dettori (Simon Cooper/PA)

Dunlop and Dettori have successfully teamed up in many big races over the years, including with Lailani (2001 Irish Oaks and Nassau Stakes), Ouija Board (2006 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare and Nassau Stakes) and Snow Fairy (2012 Irish Champion Stakes).

This may be low key in comparison, but both trainer and jockey are taking it very seriously.

“Frankie was very keen to ride in the race – it’s the Legends race and we’ve got a legend riding for us, so we’re very honoured,” said Dunlop.

Roca Magica has had a busy year, despite racing being shut down from the middle of March until the beginning of June.

The four-year-old filly has run 12 times, winning five of them, and Dunlop reports his charge to be in rude health, though he cannot estimate what effect her far-side draw in a field of 22 will have on the outcome.

“Drawn one, I’m not sure that’s ideal, but this filly has been a star. She’s won five races this year. She seems in very good form,” said the Newmarket trainer.

Many other stars of the turf are in action, including Tom Queally, who became a household name as the ever-present rider of Frankel, arguably the greatest horse of all time.

Tom Queally is famed for his exploits with Frankel
Tom Queally is famed for his exploits with Frankel (Anna Gowthorpe/PA)

Queally rides the John Ryan-trained Catch My Breath, who is drawn on the opposite side of the track to Dettori’s mount in stall 22.

Paul Hanagan is back firing on all cylinders after recently returning from a long spell on the sidelines. The champion jockey of 2010 and 2011, he rides Lexington Warfare for Richard Fahey.

Jim Crowley, who took the title in 2016, has had a tremendous season do far. He teams up with Jamie Osborne on Mykonos St John.

Among other top names taking part are William Buick, Danny Tudhope, Graham Lee and Tom Marquand.

Logician returns to Doncaster

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Last year’s St Leger hero Logician is set to make his eagerly-awaited return to action at Doncaster on Thursday.

The unbeaten Frankel colt, trained by John Gosden, has been absent since his Classic success on Town Moor 12 months ago.

Frankie Dettori’s mount will face just two rivals in the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Conditions Stakes over an extended 10 furlongs – the Charlie Appleby-trained Mythical Magic and Sir Michael Stoute’s dual Group Three scorer Zaaki.

Yorkshire Oaks runner-up Alpinista is one of eight fillies declared for the bet365 Park Hill Stakes.

Sir Mark Prescott’s three-year-old was beaten five lengths by the brilliant Love on the Knavesmire and steps up from a mile and a half to an extended mile and three-quarters in the Group Two heat.

Stoute sends out Galtres Stakes runner-up Vivionn – with William Haggas saddling Monica Sheriff, who was fourth in the Ebor after a long absence.

Roger Varian’s Believe In Love has won her last four races, and there is strong Irish representation in Joseph O’Brien’s Pista (William Buick) and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Snow (Dettori). David O’Meara’s Makawee and Charlie Fellowes’ Dubious Affair complete the field.

Kevin Ryan’s Star Of Emaraaty, shock winner of the Group Three Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket last time, sets the standard in the bet365 May Hill Fillies’ Stakes.

Dettori and Gosden team up with the once-raced Yarmouth winner Indigo Girl as she steps into Group Two company – while another unbeaten runner among the nine-strong line-up is the Varian-trained Zabeel Queen, who created a good impression in her Ascot success.