3 minute read
Beckett filly just prevails from Dancing King.
Yesyes just got the better of Dancing King in a thrilling finish to the Stella Artois Chester Stakes on the Roodee.
Ralph Beckett's filly was sent off the 7-4 favourite for the extended one-mile-six-furlong heat after winning two of her three previous outings, relinquishing her unbeaten record in a 12-furlong Listed race at Newmarket last time.
Kept in that grade at Chester, John Egan was happy to sit in behind through the early stages as Dancing King set a decent pace for Franny Norton on the first circuit
It looked as though it was merely a matter of time before Yesyes took it up, because she was travelling sweetly at the top of the straight, but Dancing King kept finding for pressure in the final two furlongs.
The pair were neck and neck at the line, with Yesyes just getting the verdict by a short head.
Betfair chopped the filly's odds to 25-1 from 50 for the Cazoo St Leger, while Dancing King is the same price for the Cesarewitch.
Egan told Sky Sports Racing: "Mine is a very big filly there, a very big filly – she did very well to win round here.
"I think she's got a nice future. She's a big, powerful fully – she's a big unit and when she's fully matured, she'll be very, very nice.
"I wouldn't say (she needs cut) – I've only sat on her there now, but she went on it. Who knows, if you start her on good ground she may go equally as well, if not better."
The meeting brought about mixed fortunes for jockey Rob Hornby, who tasted success aboard Sunday Sovereign in the Beefeater Gin Handicap after suffering a nasty fall from Fox Duty Free earlier on the card.
Sporting a large wound dressing on his face, Hornby said: "My horse ran a normal race and finished mid-div, then just coming into the pull-up (area) here can be quite sharp when the rail is this far out.
"I had horses stopping in front of me and my horse just lost his back end completely.
"He did a kind of spread eagle with his front legs and I came over his head and he gave me a nice little kick to thank me on the way through.
"It just shows what a crazy game it is that we play. I was frustrated after that but then going to ride a winner in my last ride today all makes up for it.
"It's crazy, I had a nice winner at York yesterday so I was coming in here today fresh and excited, I had a nice book of rides but around here you can have a lot of hard luck stories.
"You've just got to pick yourself up, get a plaster on and away you go.
"Luckily the team here are going to stitch it up. They said it went quite deep so this (the plaster) was just to get me through these rides and then they'll stitch it and I'll be left with an impressive scar!"
The meeting was more straightforward for Tom Dascombe, who enjoyed a treble.
Lady Caroline took the opening contest, the Matthew Clark EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes, Fools Rush In was the winner of the Laurent-Perrier Cuvee Rose Handicap and then Solent Gateway sealed the hat-trick when claiming the concluding Jam Shed Handicap.
