3 minute read
Manaccan continued his ascent up the sprinting ladder with a clear-cut victory in the Cazoo Scarbrough Stakes at Doncaster.
Having plundered a valuable handicap at Ascot in early August, and finished third when stepped up to Listed class at Newmarket three weeks later, John Ryan's charge was the 13-8 favourite on Town Moor.
King Of Stars ensured the five-furlong contest was run at strong pace and quickly moved into a clear lead while Ryan Moore – replacing Hayley Turner aboard Manaccan- elected to play his hand late.
As King Of Stars began to pay the price for his early exertions, the market leader quickened up smartly once asked for maximum effort to grab the lead and had a length and a half in hand at the line.
Mo Celita was a clear second, with Attagirl beating the admirable King Of Stars to third.
Ryan said: "We were probably a bit unlucky at Newmarket, we raced over six (furlongs) and we hit the front a bit too soon. Hayley couldn't have done a thing, the race opened up and he just got mugged on the line. Today Ryan's given him a superb ride, as you'd expect, he's got a lot to offer.
"Hopefully we'll got to Newbury for the International Trophy. Ground is a big issue for this horse, he does prefer it on the good side rather than the soft side.
"He's such an easy horse to deal with, he's so professional and he has been since day one – he eats, sleeps and races and that's what you want. We travelled up here in the horse box today and you wouldn't have known he was on the back. He's a pleasure to deal with.
"We've given him all the time in the world, he's got a very patient owner in Graham (Smith-Bernal) and he always says 'if it's not right for the horse, don't go'.
"To have someone who gives you that free rein and says 'if not today, we'll go next week' is a dream for a trainer.
"The ground is probably going to go against us after Newbury, he wouldn't be a horse that needs to do too much more this year. I think he's going to be a better horse next year.
"He's one of these lovely, honest horses and if you threw him in the deep end over five furlongs in a big race, he'd have that turn of foot to get him out of trouble at the end.
"He's the best one I've had for a while, I'm lucky in that I've had a few good ones for a small yard. Group Two winners, Group Three winners and Lincoln winners, when you've only got 18 horses it's not easy to come by ones like this."
Indian Dream continued a good run of form to land the Cambion Electronics Nursery Handicap Stakes for Michael Bell and initiating a double for Moore.
Gelded in June after his first two starts, the two-year-old won for the first time at Epsom the following month and was then the runner up in two consecutive nursery handicaps.
He went one better this time, prevailing at odds of 5-2 when crossing the line a neck to the good from Utilis.
XJ Rascal's fortunes changed in the Vertem Nursery Handicap Stakes as he put behind him two narrowly beaten runs to win for the first time since his debut.
The colt missed out by just a head at both Doncaster and Goodwood recently when running over seven furlongs, but over a mile he was a comfortable victor under William Buick, who was also completing a double after Bounce The Blues' earlier success.
"He's strengthening, as you can see, he's changing physically," trainer George Boughey said of the 11-4 favourite.
"I think he missed the kick by 10 lengths at Goodwood, we thought he might go close that day but it was a good performance today."
Mujtaba (7-2) took the closing I Love Julie Parkes Handicap for Jim Crowley and William Haggas.
"To have someone who gives you that free rein and says 'if not today, we'll go next week' is a dream for a trainer.
"The ground is probably going to go against us after Newbury, he wouldn't be a horse that needs to do too much more this year. I think he's going to be a better horse next year.
"He's one of these lovely, honest horses and if you threw him in the deep end over five furlongs in a big race, he'd have that turn of foot to get him out of trouble at the end.
"He's the best one I've had for a while, I'm lucky in that I've had a few good ones for a small yard. Group Two winners, Group Three winners and Lincoln winners, when you've only got 18 horses it's not easy to come by ones like this."
