Thursday proved to be a very fruitful day for the team as they brought home a four timer. The first of those came at Sandown in the Listed Star Stakes where Richard sent three to post. TAJAANUS, a daughter of Arcano and owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum, was having just her third start in a race and managed to get her head in front close to the line. ‘She was unlucky last time at Newmarket and has come back to form here with a great effort to win convincingly in the end. She has plenty of options now so I will sit down with the team and make a plan.’ BILLESDON BROOK also ran in the race and has proved very capable at this level finishing a close third. She was always to the fore and stuck on gamely to the line. ‘She was left alone in front in the closing stages and she just got caught out by the hill. She is a nice filly and is capable of winning black type.’ Other runners at Sandown included HIGHLAND MARY who ran a very close second in the opening event of the day. She should be winning a similar event very soon over slightly further.
Newbury in the evening is where the other winners came from. TATHMEEN made it a double for the yard and also a double for Hamdan Al Maktoum. He won impressively in the end and never saw another horse from start to finish. ‘He has always been a nice horse and I expect this cut in the ground has been a real help to his chances. He is a lovely colt and he can go on from here.’ The third winner came in the following race with THAT’S MY GIRL winning the Nursery. ‘She was off the bridle the entire way and looked like she was never going to make an impact. It was not till late on in the piece that she started to make up some solid headway. She didn’t love the ground and looks like she wants a step up to seven furlongs. She will be winning again very soon after that effort. The strong early pace was a real benefit to her.’ The final winner of the day was JULE IN THE CROWN who was making her yard debut. She was held up in midfield and took a keen hold early on before staying on strongly in the closing stages. ‘I just wanted her to relax today and finish her race and that’s how it happened. She has worked well a couple of times at home and so I was hoping for a good effort. She won it well in the end pulling nicely clear of the third.’
Today’s action comes from Ascot, Newmarket and Chepstow. A couple of fillies making their debut at the Berkshire venue and a nice maiden running up at HQ. The team is in great form with seven winners in the last two days. Let’s hope it continues today.