Betfred Rose of Lancaster Stakes |
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| Group 3, Haydock Park 14:55 £63,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m 2f 95y, Class 1 |
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| Saturday 9th August 2014 | |
1 Amralah 14/1
2 Hillstar 3/1
3 True Story 9/4F
NR: Ayrad (IRE), Spark Plug (IRE)
7 ran Distances: 1¼l, ¾l, 3½l
TIME 2m 10.96s (slow by 1.96s)
Amralah blossoms in Rose
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A 16-1 short-head winner at Newbury last month from the reopposing Vancouverite, the Mick Channon-trained winner was again overlooked by punters in going off at 14-1 for this Group Three test.
Fanning, who is riding at the top of his game, soon opened up a handy advantage on the Teofilo colt and saw off the challenge of Hillstar for a relatively cosy length-and-a-quarter success, with one-time Derby hope True Story coming under pressure in the straight before eventually staying on again for third.
Channon did not get to see his charge win as he was stuck in traffic on the M6, but he was pleased to strike nevertheless.
He said: "We have always thought he was a good horse and he's obviously improving.Joe has ridden for me a bit in the past and he's always been great on front-runners. He's in the Irish Champion Stakes and the sky's the limit."
Fanning added: "He was pretty straightforward. We were allowed to bowl along in front and he's galloped all the way to the line.We went a nice early pace and even though he hung to his right a bit, it didn't stop him.
"I wouldn't think a mile and a half is beyond him and you could ride him any way as long as there's a decent pace.
"Things are going very well for me at the moment. Mark's (Johnston, Fanning's main employer) horses are in great form and I'm getting plenty of outside rides."
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True Story, representing Saeed bin Suroor and ridden by Kieren Fallon, broke well and was soon covered up in fifth of the seven runners as Amralah raced off into a clear lead.
True Story was niggled along with half a mile to race and rallied well after being briefly relegated to sixth approaching the two-furlong marker.
He stayed on well to go third in the closing stages, two lengths behind the victorious Amralah, who made all of the running to score in 2m 10.96s on good ground.
Saeed bin Suroor commented: "True Story ran well and we will look to go a bit further with him now.
"We will keep the options open but I think a mile and a half on faster ground would suit him well."
Betfred Rose Of Lancaster Stakes
£63,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m 2f 95y, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good
