Harry Angel Displayed Willing Attitude To Win Mill Reef
The colt, who was a maiden going into the six furlong contest having finished second on his only previous start at Ascot in May, was well supported in the betting and took the step up in class in his stride.
Despite taking a keen early hold under Adam Kirby, Harry Angel moved strongly into contention and stretched clear approaching the final furlong to beat the Andrew Balding-trained Perfect Angel, another son of Dark Angel, by two and a half lengths, with Global Applause (Mayson) just a neck further behind in third.
After the race, connections suggested that Harry Angel would be rested for the remainder of the season, with a long term plan being a possible crack at next season’s Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f) at Royal Ascot.
Delectation (2 f ex Chushka by Pivotal) gave first season sire Delegator (Dansili) his first stakes winner when preserving her unbeaten record in the Firth Of Clyde Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at Ayr on Saturday.
The Bryan Smart-trained two-year-old was held up in the rear by Paul Mulrennan in the early stages, before being switched to the inside to deliver her challenge approaching half way.
The filly, who broke her maiden over six furlongs at Thirsk on 9 August, responded well to her jockey’s urgings to storm clear in the closing stages, beating the Richard Fahey-trained pair Rosebride (Mayson) and Belle Meade (Roderic O’Connor) by two and three quarter lengths and one and a quarter lengths respectively.
Elzaam (Redoute’s Choice) also gained his first stakes winner, courtesy of Clem Fandango (2 f ex Question by Coronado’s Quest) who was a decisive winner of the Harry Rosebery Stakes (Listed, 5f) at Ayr on Friday.
The Keith Dalgleish and Middleham Park Racing-owned filly, who ran third to Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) in the Queen Mary Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at Royal Ascot in June, travelled smoothly into contention under Philip Makin and readily quickened clear to beat Angel Meadow (Mayson) by three and three quarter lengths, with Smokey Lane (Zebedee) a further half a length back in third.
Three-year-olds
The David Simcock-trained Algometer (3 c Archipenko – Albanova by Alzao) found plenty for pressure inside the final furlong to land the Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup Stakes (Gr 3, 1m3f) at Newbury on Saturday, narrowly getting the better of Hardwicke Stakes (Gr 2, 1m4f) winner Dartmouth (Dubawi).
The three-year-old was last seen finishing seventh in the Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) on 4 June having previously won the Cocked Hat Stakes (Listed, 1m3f) at Goodwood second up this season.
The son of Archipenko (Kingmambo) was the first of the five runner field to come under pressure, but he responded well to jockey Jim Crowley’s urgings and hit the front inside the final furlong.
Despite drifting across to the fair rail in the closing stages, Algometer managed to stave off the advances of Dartmouth, who eventually finished three quarter lengths behind in second with Tashaar (Sea The Stars) two and a quarter lengths further behind in third.
Near England (3 f Lord Of England – Near Galante by Galileo) put in a smart performance to take out the Deutsches St Leger (Gr 3, 2800m) at Dortmund on Sunday.
The Markus Klug-trained filly, who won the Nutan-Rennen (Gr 3, 2200m) at Hamburg in July, was last seen finishing 12th in the Preis der Diana (German Oaks) (Gr 1, 2200m) at Dusseldorf on 7 August but relished the greater test of stamina in the Deutsches St Leger.
The three-year-old was settled just off the pace by Andreas Helfenbein and stayed on well inside the final 200 metres to win comfortably by two lengths from the Andreas Wohler-trained Tellina (Silvano), with Techno Queen (Manduro) a further length and a half back in third.
British raider Sky Kingdom (3 c Montjeu – We Can Say It Now by Starcraft), who is a homebred for Paul Makin out of the Australian-bred mare We Can Say It Now, won the Prix du Prince d’Orange (Gr 3, 2000m) at Maisons-Laffitte on Saturday.
The William Haggas-trained three-year-old, who finished eighth behind dual Group One winner Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano H (Gr 2, 2000m) at his last start, travelled smoothly in behind the leaders under Gerald Mosse.
He came through to challenge the favourite Mekhtaal (Sea The Stars) approaching the final 300 metres and edged ahead close home to win by a short neck, with the Andre Fabre-trained Spectroscope (Medaglia d’Oro) staying on well to finish three lengths further back in third.
The Stefano Botti-trained Full Drago (3 c Pounced – Almata by Almutawakel) ran out a convincing winner of the Premio Federico Tesio (Gr 2, 2200m) at San Siro on Sunday.
The three-year-old had recently tasted stakes success when landing the Premio Gran Premio D’Italia (Listed, 2400m) on 19 June and was confidently ridden by Cristian Demuro.
The son of Pounced (Rahy) quickened clear at the 500 metres to beat Fair Mountain (Tiger Hill) and Circus Couture (Intikhab) by two lengths and a head respectively.
So Mi Dar (3 f Dubawi – Dar Re Mi by Singspiel) showed a good turn of foot to win the John Musker Fillies’ Stakes (Listed, 1m2f) at Yarmouth on Wednesday, stretching her unbeaten record to four.
The John Gosden-trained three-year-old had been off the track since winning the Musidora Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2.5f) at York in May but moved strongly into contention under Frankie Dettori.
The second foal out of the multiple Group One winner Dar Re Mi (Singspiel), So Mi Dar eased clear at the two furlongs and was allowed to coast home by Dettori, beating Nezwaah (Dubawi) by half a length with the 2015 International Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2.5f) winner Arabian Queen (Dubawi) a further three quarters of a length behind in third.
Lanwades Stud sire Sir Percy (Mark Of Esteem) sired his 16th stakes winner courtesy of Quebee (3 f Sir Percy – Tintac by Intikhab) who was a narrow winner of the Fortune Stakes (Listed, 1m) at Sandown on Wednesday.
On her first outing in stakes company, the Clive Cox-trained filly got up close home to beat South African Grade One-winning import Yorker (Jet Master) by a neck, with Muwaary (Oasis Dream) half a length further back in third.
The Martyn Meade-trained Aclaim (3 c Acclamation – Aris by Danroad) ran out a ready winner of the Dubai Duty Free Cup Stakes (Listed, 7f) at Newbury on Friday.
The three-year-old was ridden patiently in rear by Jamie Spencer and showed a smart turn of foot to quicken between rivals a furlong out for a three quarters of a length victory over the John Gosden-trained Fannaan (Speightstown) with Accession (Acclamation) a neck behind him in third.
Older horses
Duchess Andorra (5 m ex Andorra by Cadeaux Genereux) provided Duke Of Marmalade (Danehill) with his 31st stakes winner when she landed a surprise win in the Lanwades Stud Fillies Stakes (Gr 3, 1m1.5f) at Gowran Park on Sunday.
In her two previous starts at Group level, the five-year-old filly had finished well beaten, running ninth in the Kilboy Estate Stakes (Gr 2, 1m1f) at the Curragh in July, and on her previous start when she finished sixth to Somehow (Fastnet Rock) in the Snow Fairy Stakes (Gr 3, 1m1f) at the Curragh on 28 August.
However, the Johnny Murtagh-trained five-year-old relished the testing underfoot conditions and was able to narrowly fend off Laganore (Fastnet Rock) inside the final 50 yards under Colin Keane to win by a short head, with Intimation (Dubawi) a further three quarters of a length back in third.
Cotai Glory (4 c Exceed And Excel – Continua by Elusive Quality) landed the Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes (Gr 3, 5f) at Newbury on Saturday.
The Charles Hills-trained four-year-old, who ran second to Profitable (Invincible Spirit) in the King’s Stand Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) at Royal Ascot in June, raced up with the pace throughout in the hands of George Baker.
The son of Exceed And Excel (Danehill) edged into a narrow lead a furlong out and was able to repel the strong finishing Alpha Delphini (Captain Gerrard) by a short heard, with the Summer Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) winner Ridge Ranger (Bushranger) a further two and a quarter lengths back in third.
A 313-day absence did not trouble the Godolphin-owned Secret Number (6 g Raven’s Pass – Mysterial by Alleged) when he impressively landed the Doonside Cup (Listed, 1m2f) at Ayr on Thursday.
The lightly raced six-year-old had not been seen on a racecourse since finishing second to Dandino (Dansili) in the Queen’s Cup (Gr 3, 2600m) at Flemington last November.
The 2013 winner of the Cumberland Lodge (Gr 3, 1m4f) moved smoothly through the gears to lead over two furlongs out and stayed on well for pressure to come away with a decisive one and three quarter length win over Motdaw (Motivator), with a gap of five lengths back to Abdon (Cacique) in third.
Banzari (4 f Motivator – Bantu by Cape Cross) made all to land the La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte (Gr 3, 2000m) at Maisons-Laffitte on Saturday to hand her trainer Henri-Francois Devin his first Group race success.
The four-year-old, who was last seen winning the Prix Luth Enchantee (Listed, 1800m) at Clairefontaine on 12 August, beat the Andre Fabre-trained and Ballymore Thoroughbred-owned Ame Bleue (Dubawi) by one and a half lengths with the fellow Fabre-trained and Godolphin-owned Floodlight (Medaglia d’Oro) a further half-length back in third.