Imperial strides to Derby success
Imperial Stride continued his climb up the middle-distance ranks with an emphatic success in the Daily Record Scottish Derby at Ayr today.
The 10-furlong Group Two contest attracted only four runners and the Michael Stoute-trained colt was backed into 1-2 to complete a three-timer following Listed wins at York and Newmarket.
The son of Indian Ridge proved well up to this higher grade as he made all under Richard Hills to comfortably defeat Aidan O’Brien’s Powerscourt by one and a quarter lengths, giving Stoute his fourth victory in the race in the last five years.
Bruce Raymond, representing winning owner Saeed Suhail, said: “This horse is on the up. He’s in the Royal Whip at the Curragh on August 7, a Group Two race. That’s his next entry.
“He’s not in any Group One races, so we’d have to supplement him if the owner wants to go up a bit. That was a good performance. The horse is very happy when he’s galloping that way.
“He’s a typical Michael Stoute-trained horse, who is progressing with patience and I think he’ll probably go on again while he’s on a roll. It’s not for me to say where he goes, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he stepped up another division while the horse is going forward.”
Hills added: “He’s a good horse and is improving. He’s at a point now where he’s had three wins and has got a lot of confidence. We’ll just have to go with him to see how good he is. I liked the way he quickened up the straight, twice he picked up for me.”
Kieren Fallon, who rode the runner-up, believes the five-year-old is coming back to form and he said: “That will have put him right.”
Mecca’s Mate produced a blistering burst of speed to take the Listed Land O’Burns Fillies’ Stakes in great style, a performance which left her trainer David Barker “stunned”.
She did not make headway until well inside the final furlong, but finished to such effect that she sliced through the opposition to score going away by a length and a quarter from Frui Of Glory, with Notjustaprettyface a neck back in third.
“Last to first in six strides – but you are never worried with Fergal (Lynch) on your side, bless him!” said a breathless Barker after greeting his 4-1 victor.
“But that was some performance – I’m stunned. She’s blown me away there. That last furlong has just left me speechless.
“The progression she has shown this year has been amazing and we’ve been forced into Listed class.”
Mecca’s Mate is entered at York on Friday and in the Vodafone Stewards’ Cup and Barker added: “She goes where it rains. Good ground or softer that’s what she wants.”
Mark Johnston is the leading trainer at the track and the Middleham-based handler improved on his impressive tally at the course with a 12-1 double thanks to wins from Nihal and Sound Breeze.
The latter was particularly impressive when trouncing his rivals in the Glasgow Gala Casinos Handicap in the hands of Kevin Darley.
Sound Breeze was sent off the 11-8 favourite – including one bet of £20,000 (€29,000) at 6-4 – for the mile race after an easy success at Ripon a fortnight ago.
And his supporters never had an anxious moment as the colt sprinted clear to beat Vicious Warrior by five lengths.
“He’s always been quite a nice horse,” Johnston said. “He ran a good race when fourth in his maiden at Newmarket last year and I thought he was reasonable then.
“I didn’t really know what the Ripon win meant, but he’s done nothing wrong at home and he’s done nothing wrong on the racecourse now.
“Kevin said stick to a mile after Ripon. I thought he wanted further, but looking at him today and Kevin’s comments I think we’ll stick to a mile at the moment. After a five-length win we’ll have to look for another handicap before the end of next week. I’ll be looking to see if there is anything at Goodwood for him.”
Nihal left earlier disappointments behind when gaining a gutsy victory in the Famous Grouse European Breeders Fund Maiden Stakes.
The filly had finished fourth on both her previous starts – including when odds-on here last month – but she improved on those efforts to record a neck success from 6-4 favourite Auction Room, with her stable companion Peppertree Lane half a length back in third.
“It was a perfect result for us,” said Johnston. “Obviously we don’t like running two in a race.
“We thought the filly was very useful before her first start, but she missed the break at Pontefract and only got into the race in the last furlong.
“We thought she’d win next time and then she did it again, but today she’s shown what we originally thought of her. We do think a lot of her and she’s close to the top of the pecking order of our two-year-old fillies.
“Peppertree Lane has run the perfect first race. He’s a backward colt with a lot of scope.”
Robert Winston is riding better than ever this season and he was seen at his strongest when snatching a last-gasp victory on The Bear in the Jetcard Nursery.
He set out to make all the running on the 4-1 chance, but he looked held when headed by the eventual second inside the last of the six furlongs.
However, the title-chasing jockey conjured a late surge out of The Bear, who got up right on the line to win by a short head.
“John Weymes’ horse (Welcome Approach) looked all over the winner, but our horse battled on again well,” said trainer Ian Semple.
“Robert was tremendous there. You are better with him on your side than against you. The Bear is a big, weak horse and he’ll be a nice three-year-old next year and he’ll get further.
“He never got a run in the July Stakes last time – it didn’t matter, he wouldn’t have won it, but he would have been placed.
“He’s definitely Listed or Group Three class and I’ll try and go down that road. But I don’t want to over-race him this year.”
Fallon had to be content with second again when his mount, Yorkshire Blue, found 50-1 shot Drury Lane three-quarters of a length too good in the Xperdata Handicap.
Local trainer Linda Perratt ended a losing run stretching back more than 10 weeks when she saddled Seafield Towers to win the Salon Service Matrix Haircare Handicap.
“The horses have had a virus, which affected their muscles, and we’ve been off for four or five weeks,” said the relieved the Cree Lodge handler.
