Tax Free gift for punters
05/09/2006 - 19:49:37Tax Free shattered the five-furlong course record when he bolted up in the Prestwold Conditions Stakes at Leicester.
The David Nicholls-trained gelding had run several good races this season without winning, but he enjoyed a confidence-booster here ahead of an intended run at Goodwood on Saturday.
Adrian Nicholls had the 8-11 favourite in front at halfway and he was never seriously threatened thereafter as he drew away to beat Dixie Belle by three lengths.
His time of 57.86 seconds lowered the previous best, which had stood for six years, by .14 seconds.
“That’s just what he wanted,” said the trainer.
“He had a hard race at Ascot when he lost his shoe and bruised his foot badly.
“Since then he’s been lugging away for some reason and even today he was running away from him again.
“And he had no luck at Beverley the other day, the door kept getting shut in his face.
“He’s in at Taby on Sunday and Goodwood on Saturday but he’ll go to Goodwood for a Listed race (Sporting Index Starlit Stakes).”
Trainer Michael Jarvis is hoping Aryaamm will develop into a Listed performer after she got off the mark in good style in the Robert Pochin Ltd Plumbing & Heating Maiden Stakes.
The daughter of Galileo had been an unlucky loser at Chester last time but she made amends in this 10-furlong contest.
Philip Robinson had the 3-1 favourite smartly away and she proceeded to make all the running and romp home by three lengths from Hotel Du Cap.
“She had a terrible run at Chester but she’s a beautifully-bred filly and she’ll go on from this,” Jarvis said.
“Hopefully she’ll get a mile and a half and we are hoping she progresses up to Listed class.
“I don’t know what the owner’s (Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum) plans are but she’ll make a nice filly next year. He doesn’t keep many four-year-olds but she never ran at two and doesn’t have much mileage on the clock.”
The trainer, jockey and owner combination doubled up when Dijeerr made all the running in the second division of the EBF Apollo Maiden Stakes.
“He skipped over that fast ground. He’s a horse who doesn’t want too tough a year and we might give him just one more run this time,” said Jarvis.
Millestan was another good winner on the card when she put up a ueful staying performance in the EBF Filbert Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.
Henry Cecil’s youngster had shown improved form last time to finish second over seven furlongs and she stepped up again to open her account over this extended mile.
Eddie Ahern soon had the 15-2 shot bowling along in the lead and keeping up the gallop in the straight, she ran on to score by a length and a half from Rose Of Petra.
David Lanigan, Cecil’s assistant, said: “She has improved with all her runs.
“She stays and she travelled well throughout the race.
“We’ll take it one step at a time and see how she comes out of this and take it from there.
“She has been working with some nice fillies at home and that will give us a pointer where we can go from here.”
Torquemada benefited from a patient Kerrin McEvoy ride to land the Racecourse Video Services Handicap.
The Aussie ace settled the 100-30 favourite towards the rear before making headway with a quarter of a mile to go.
He was briefly hampered but the jockey did not panic and gave his mount time to find his stride before unleashing him with a winning run well inside the final furlong.
Torquemada got up close home to score by a length from Flying Bantam.
“This horse has got plenty of ability. He’s not easy to win with but Kerrin gave him a lovely ride and that’s his trip seven furlongs,” said trainer William Jarvis.
“The horses are running well so long may it continue.”
A total of 18 juveniles went to post for the ggbet.com Betting Exchange Selling Nursery and the seven-furlong contest produced a good finish, with Disco Queen just getting the better of Straw Boy.
The latter was sent off the 13-2 favourite and moved up to challenge the winner over a furlong out but Disco Queen (16-1) would not give in and battled on for Kevin Darley to register a neck victory.
There was some spirited bidding at the post-race auction before the Patrick Haslam-trained Disco Queen was retained for 6,000 guineas.
Darley went on to complete a 203-1 double on Mark Johnston’s Celtic Step in the first division of the EBF Apollo Maiden Stakes.
The Selkirk colt went clear over a furlong out and despite hanging left, held on to beat Western Adventure by a length.
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