11 July 2020

Beauty posts Stunning performance on Newmarket debut

11 July 2020

Saeed bin Suroor hopes he could have a potential top-class performer on his hands in Stunning Beauty after her emphatic debut success in the bet365 Novice Stakes at Newmarket.

The daughter of Shamardal defied her lack of experience to turn what looked a competitive mile contest into a procession with a clear-cut victory in the hands of champion jockey Oisin Murphy.

Hitting the front on the run down to the final furlong, the 7-1 shot quickly put the race to bed within a matter of strides before crossing the line four lengths clear of runner-up Declaring Love.

Bin Suroor said: “We gave her time as she was weak before. Last month she started to show her class in the mornings with her work.

“She is a filly we will maybe find a Listed race for now. We will keep her to that trip. We will see how she comes back in a week’s time.

“At the end of the season in October, we will maybe look at a Group One. We will see how she runs next time. She is a filly that has always had class – to me she is a nice filly, but we will take it step by step.

“We don’t have much, but she is OK.”

Motakhayyel followed up his Royal Ascot victory by winning the bet365 Bunbury Cup and is now set to step up in class

Richard Hannon’s four-year-old travelled supremely well throughout and kicked clear under Jim Crowley to beat Sir Busker by three-quarters of a length.

Hannon said: “He has been a star for me. He was a good horse last year but he lost his way slightly, so we decided to look after him with this year in mind. He has been in great nick at home and to win a Royal Ascot handicap, you have got to be very good.

“He clearly still has a bit in hand and is improving and hopefully he will turn out to be a black type horse. I don’t think we will go to the Lennox as we have to be careful about the ground and track with him. He has done well and done his job no matter what.”

Charlie Appleby will now explore Group race options with Wedding Dance (2-1) after the daughter of Invincible Spirit led home a one-two-three for the Newmarket handler with a three-and-three-quarter-length victory in the bet365 British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

Appleby said: “We were not disappointed on her first start, as she ran a nice race and we had a couple of fillies in the race that day.

“She had done some nice homework before that first start and visibly she has come forward for it, and that is why William (Buick) picked her.

“William said a mile this year will be well within her sights. She is a nice, scopey filly and we will work back from something smart in the autumn.

“She has a couple of starts under her belt now and the Sweet Solera is something we could definitely have a look at, and further down the line there is the May Hill.”

Owner Alan Spence was rewarded for making the journey to the track after the Roger Varian-trained Establish (10-1) carried his colours to glory in the bet365 Mile Handicap by a half a length.

Varian said: “Alan Spence has had horses with me since I started training and he is one of the game’s great supporters. It is great to give him a nice winner at a nice meeting and I’m pleased he has made the journey up to see the horse.

“It worked out well today as he relaxed in behind horses and he has got a good turn of foot.

“I’m not sure if there is something at Goodwood for him, but maybe the Cambridgeshire could be the long-term plan.”

Indie Angel made the most of getting weight from her rivals to gain a first victory of the season by two and a quarter lengths in the British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Handicap.

Trainer John Gosden said of the 11-2 winner: “She was a bit unlucky at Doncaster. She was near bottom of the weights today and when you have Nicky Mackay riding at 8st 2lb, it is an advantage on this ground.”

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