Exciting times for Meehan
With Royal Ascot just around the corner, Brian Meehan confirmed the well-being of his powerful string when saddling Sans Reward to success at Salisbury.
David Junior in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes is the horse the Manton trainer is most looking forward to next week, but a number of his stablemates will also be worth following at the showpiece fixture.
“Obviously, David Junior is our big runner but there are others with chances, including Red Rocks and Violet Park,” he said.
Backed down to 13-8 favourite in the George Smith Horseboxes Maiden Auction Stakes, Sans Reward was eased across to the far rail by Steve Drowne and was fortunate that a gap appeared in time for her to catch Farefield Lodge and score by a neck.
“She’s a very nice filly, will keep improving and I’ll go seven furlongs with her next,” Meehan said.
“I think I was probably a bit greedy trying to win over the minimum with her and I liked her attitude when she went through what looked a narrow gap.”
Amanda Perrett was a shade surprised Sir Monty was fit enough to take the Dutton Gregory Handicap on his first outing of the season, with the four-year-old gamely fighting off Velvet Waters to score by a neck.
Ryan Moore excelled on the 6-1 winner and Perrett said: “Dad (Guy Harwood) bought this horse at the breeze ups but I thought he would need it, having been off for so long. All being well, he’ll come back here for another handicap over a mile and three quarters.”
Moore initiated a double when teaming up with Michael Stoute on Sama Dubai in the Wise Catering Maiden Stakes.
At 10-1, Sama Dubai started at double the price of her stablemate Scrummage but proved much the better, outstripping favourite Pirouetting by a length and a half.
Stoute’s travelling head groom Jimmy Scott was surprised at the outcome and said of the Australian-bred winner: “She was among a batch of three which came from Australia and, although she had shown very little at home, she stuck her neck out when it mattered.”
Peter Cundell was a relieved man when Takitwo (33-1) took the Trethowans Solicitors Handicap by two lengths and a neck from Davidia and Fateful Attraction.
Cundell explained: “All my horses were ill through March and April with chest infections, but they’re just coming right and I wasn’t really surprised.
“I bred him myself for Marjorie Fraser, who is in her 90s and has had a number of stalwarts in the yard, including Tenet, Kent and Great Hall.”
Punters received a jolt in the Ken Cox “Lifetime In Racing” Claiming Stakes when 100-1 chance Wild Lass reacted to first-time blinkers to arrive with a storming late run, beating My Girl Pearl and Marko Jadeo by half a length and a short head.
Her trainer Jimmy Fox confessed this was the last-chance saloon for the mare, who would have been sold, and he said: “She’s a right madam and when we arrived we were thinking that she might not be going racing for us again, but then she goes and wins. I knew she had ability because her dam was a decent sort who won three or four times for us.”
Ed Dunlop has saddled more seconds than he wants to remember but he is also maintaining a good winner rate and Island Odyssey gave him a 25th success of the campaign when making all under Frankie Dettori in the EBF Margadale Fillies’ Handicap.
The 15-8 favourite scored by three and a half lengths from Dimelight, with her market rival Fann running a stinker and finishing last.
Hughie Morrison kept up his good recent form when Guildenstern took the Bathwick Tyres Lady Riders’ Series Handicap.
