Moviesta is likely to attempt to atone for his narrow defeat at York on Saturday at Newmarket next month.
The Bryan Smart-trained three-year-old refused to settle and pulled hard for the first two furlongs of the valuable Sprint Trophy on the Knavesmire.
Despite taking a keen hold, the gelding stuck on gamely to go down by only a neck to Body And Soul, delighting connections and prompting talk of a crack at the Nunthorpe Stakes in August.
“Bryan thought his race was run after only two furlongs, so to come back and be beaten just a neck was a massive effort,” said Ritchie Fiddes, who owns the three-year-old in a partnership which includes Harry Redknapp.
“He should have finished last really. We obviously need to work on getting him settled, but he broke so well Paul (Mulrennan) was unable to get him covered up.
“There’s a �100,000 three-year-olds-only sprint at Newmarket in July and that looks the logical next step.
“We may even consider the Nunthorpe, who knows. We don’t want to blow his brains too soon, that’s the worry.
“It may take us three or four races to work out if he’s better over five or six, but we’ll have some fun finding out. We don’t want to disappoint him, that’s all.
“We may even consider the Stewards’ Cup, but we’re aware how hard it is for three-year-olds against older horses.”
Written by on Jun 17th, 2013. Have Your Say!. 
Hopes are high for Songbird after she took her 100% record to two with a facile win at Yarmouth on Thursday.
Connections of the Lady Cecil-trained filly have already been vindicated in giving her the chance to shine after she only made her racecourse debut at the age of four last month.
She landed a 14-runner Salisbury maiden over a mile and a quarter by five lengths from Cushion, a winner at Newbury on Thursday, before having little more than a canter to win a three-horse affair by 11 lengths at the seaside track.
The daughter of Danehill Dancer may try her hand in Listed company next and could go on to better things.
“She didn’t have much to beat, but she was impressive,” said Barry Simpson, racing manager to owner Sir Robert Ogden.
“She looks as if she’s progressive. We’ll see how the handicapper rates her, but she’s moving up towards running in Listed class.
“It is either a conditions race next or a Listed race and then we would see what would be available for the back-end of the season in an autumn campaign. That’s what we plan with her. She could turn out to be a Group filly.
“She was a backward individual and just had issues in so much that because she was backward, she didn’t handle the training in the early part. Then we just had to give her a rest at a critical time last summer.
“There was no point bringing her back for the late autumn, hence the reason we kept her and started her off in a maiden and work up. So far it’s gone to plan.
“The Salisbury win was pretty impressive and the second came out and won on Thursday at Newbury.”
Written by on Jun 17th, 2013. Have Your Say!.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien is to declare both Magician and Mars for the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.
Coolmore said on Friday that Magician, brilliant winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas on his last start, had sustained minor bruising following a knock on Thursday.
A statement posted on www.coolmore.com on Saturday said it is hoped the Ballydoyle duo will both take their chance in the Group One contest over a mile, for which declarations are made on Sunday morning.
Magician is due to be ridden by Joseph O’Brien, with Mars, who finished sixth in the Investec Derby last time, the intended mount of Ryan Moore.
Coolmore said: “Magician (Joseph O’Brien) and Mars (Ryan Moore) will both be declared. Mars is a definite runner and hopefully Magician will run.”
Written by on Jun 16th, 2013. Have Your Say!.
Tim Easterby paid only �7,500 for Body And Soul and the filly took her earnings to well over �300,000 after holding off Moviesta in the Macmillan Charity Sprint Trophy at York.
Easterby normally targets his best three-year-old at this valuable prize and took the spoils for the third time in 11 years.
Having bagged the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury and Redcar’s Two-Year-Old Trophy last season, Body And Soul has more than paid her way in what has already been a profitable career.
After a pleasing comeback at Ripon, where she finished fifth against older horses, Body And Soul was backed from a morning price of 16-1 into 7-1 favouritism and hit the front two furlongs out under Duran Fentiman.
Moviesta, winner of his last two races for Bryan Smart, had done a passable impression of Dawn Approach in the Derby for the first two furlongs – throwing his head about – and it was to his credit he battled on to be beaten only a neck, with Barracuda Boy third and Heaven’s Guest fourth.
Easterby said: “She’s a tremendous horse. It’s been hard training her this year because she had a hard season at two and I had this in mind from last year, but I couldn’t rush her. She was eating well, but just in the early spring she wasn’t quite right.
“We had the decision to make. I didn’t want to go in Listed races with a penalty for her Listed win and as she’s rated 95, this was the obvious place to come.
“We’ll probably go the Ayr Gold Cup route as there’s no programme for three-year-old sprinters. Duran rides her very well.”
Ritchie Fiddes, part-owner of Moviesta, said: “It’s frustrating coming so close, but after pulling like he did early in the race we’re thrilled.
“This was the right race to come for and we’re going home knowing we’ve got the best horse in the race. We can look at stepping him up into Listed races now.”
Written by on Jun 16th, 2013. Have Your Say!.
Baltic Knight justified Richard Hughes’ confidence when lifting the Ian And Kate Macmillan Ganton Stakes at York.
The champion jockey made no secret of the fact that he made the journey to York mainly to ride the Richard Hannon-trained three-year-old (2-1 favourite) in this Listed race, and he was duly rewarded.
Sir Patrick Moore took the field along until two furlongs out, where Quick Wit made a bid for glory, but Hughes was simply biding his time on Baltic Knight and made his move inside the final furlong to come home by a length. Quick Wit was second, with Stipulate a length and a half back in third.
Hughes said: “The horse (Remote) that beat him last time is a very good horse. We like this fella a lot and he does like cut in the ground. A strong-run mile or a mile and two is probably his trip.”
Richard Fahey has his strongest ever team of juveniles this season and has a handful of realistic chances at Royal Ascot next week.
That will come too soon for Rufford, but the �50,000 Invincible Spirit colt looks to have a bright future after holding off his stablemate Bahamian C in the Reg Griffin Appreciation EBF Maiden Stakes.
“We’ve got some nice two-year-olds and this lad took part in a gallop to see which ones went to Ascot,” said Fahey.
“There were 10 of them and he finished sixth. After the one that finished fifth won the other day, I knew he’d go close.”
Written by on Jun 16th, 2013. Have Your Say!.
