Tag Archive for: Dahlia Stakes

Sly hoping for Newmarket rain ahead of Beau bid

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Pam Sly’s Astral Beau will appreciate any rain that falls over Newmarket ahead of the William Hill Dahlia Stakes.

The five-year-old is owned and bred by the Sly family and is the granddaughter of their 1000 Guineas winner Speciosa.

Third in this contest last season, the bay is familiar with the Rowley Mile having won on the course twice in four outings.

She started her season by defending her Doncaster Mile tile but found Roger Varian’s Charyn too strong, with that horse subsequently boosting the form with victory in the Group Two bet365 Mile at Sandown.

Astral Beau in action on the July course
Astral Beau in action on the July course (John Walton/PA)

“She’s very well, we’re just hoping it will rain,” said Sly.

“She’s looking out of her stable door saying ‘please rain!’.

“She was third in this last year and I think it’s not quite such a good race, but perhaps I’m wrong.

“She’s won at Newmarket and on the July course and she’s been placed in some Group races there too, she seems in good order so we’ll see.”

Of Charyn’s subsequent success, Sly added: “I thought that was good form, he did beat us quite easily but he has been placed in three Group Ones so I think that bodes well.”

David Menuisier will run Heartache Tonight in the race, a half-sister to his top mare Wonderful Tonight who runs in the same blue and yellow silks of co-owner Chris Wright.

The four-year-old steps back in trip after a beaten effort in the Group Two Prix de Pomone at Deauville on her final outing last term, though prior to that she secured some good placed form over shorter distances in the Prix Cleopatre and the Prix Saint-Alary.

“She was meant to go to Nottingham on Tuesday and the meeting was abandoned, I was looking for an easy option first time out and it wasn’t to be but the filly is ready to go,” said Menuisier.

“I entered her in the Dahlia just in case it was going to be abandoned and the filly is in good shape. I felt that I ran her over too far last year, so it will be interesting to see her over a mile and one (furlong).

“She wasn’t beaten far (in the Prix Cleopatre and the Prix Saint-Alary), she always looked like she was hitting a flat spot and then ran on.

“We can interpret those races from the angle we want, sometimes when they want to run over further that’s what they do, and then they pick up again.

“The Pomone was probably too far, so it will be interesting, we are going back to basics to try to gauge the filly and then we will see what to do next.”

Silver Lady winning the bet365 European Breeders’ Fund Maiden Fillies’ Stakes
Silver Lady winning the bet365 European Breeders’ Fund Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (Tim Goode/PA)

Charlie Appleby runs the Godolphin filly Silver Lady, a four-year-old daughter of Sea The Stars who was last seen winning the Group Two Cape Verdi at Meydan in January.

She is well-fancied along with John and Thady Gosden’s Running Lion, a grey daughter of Roaring Lion with a Listed victory and a Group Three placing to her name.

Hughie Morrison runs Stay Alert, a Group One runner-up in the Pretty Polly at the Curragh last season, while Jack Channon is represented by Oaks third Caernarfon and Gary and Josh Moore have entered Novus.



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Fabre fires twin assault on Dahlia Stakes

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Andre Fabre is double-handed in the Howden Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket on Sunday with Life In Motion and Hidden Dimples both bidding for Group Two honours.

The master trainer has won the nine-furlong contest twice before, with Esoterique in 2014 and Usherette two years later.

Like Usherette, Life In Motion is owned by Godolphin and has won four of her last five outings, progressing nicely with each run.

Hidden Dimples, who will be ridden by Ryan Moore with Mickael Barzalona on Life In Motion, finished third behind her stablemate last time out in a Listed race at ParisLongchamp – but Fabre expects the distance between the pair to be narrowed on this occasion.

“It looks an interesting race for both of them. They both ran in a Listed race at Longchamp last time out, which Life In Motion won,” said Fabre.

“They are two nice mares. Hidden Dimples spent the winter at the farm, so she needed the race much more than the other one. She’s a solid mare.

“They should both run well. Life In Motion did well at three and that has continued. She did not have an injury last summer, there were just no suitable races for her and then I brought her back in the autumn to win twice.”

With The Moonlight last ran in America
With The Moonlight last ran in America (Tim Goode/PA)

Charlie Appleby’s With The Moonlight, last seen finishing second in a Grade One in America will also sport the Godolphin blue.

Roger Varian’s Al Husn is unbeaten but this represents a major step up in class. She is owned by Shadwell, who also run the John and Thady Gosden-trained Shaara.

Ralph Beckett’s Prosperous Voyage, second in the 1000 Guineas last season and winner of the Falmouth, also runs with Astral Beau, Random Harvest and Via Sistina completing the line up.



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Astral Beau booked for Dahlia date

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Astral Beau will be pitched into Group Two company this weekend, with trainer Pam Sly hoping the handicapper is proved correct.

The four-year-old Brazen Beau filly has been hiked 21lb to a mark of 107 after taking the Listed Doncaster Mile by four lengths and now goes up in trip for the Howden Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket on Sunday.

Sly, who part-owned and trained Astral Beau’s 1000 Guineas-winning granddam Speciosa, has seen Astral Beau win five of her 10 career starts, including three victories at Newmarket last term.

The trainer hopes there will be enough ease in the ground ahead of a possible clash with the Godolphin pair of Life In Motion and With The Moonlight, as well as Falmouth winner Prosperous Voyage, in the nine-furlong event.

“She’d have a chance if it rains,” said Sly. “She likes juice in the ground. All her form is on good to soft or soft ground. The whole family need it – all things from Speciosa, they all need that.

“I think the handicapper thinks she has a chance by putting her up 21lb! There is nothing I can do about it – it’s how life is.

“She won at the beginning of the season when it was wet and then towards the end she won three, again when the ground was a bit easier.

“I haven’t got plans beyond this weekend, that’s the trouble. I have to see what happens on Sunday and go from there and see what I can find.

“I shall not try to keep her fit all the time if there is nothing to run her in, but I think she’ll stay. It’s only another furlong. As long as it rains, you know I’ll be there with a chance.”

Sly, who trains at Thorney in Cambridgeshire, does have clearer focus for Wintercrack.

She caused a 20-1 surprise when downing Baaeed’s half-brother Naqeeb, who was third when making his debut in a 10-furlong maiden at Leicester on Friday.

Wintercrack/Leicester
Wintercrack will head to Chester next week (Adam Morgan/PA)

Wintercrack, a daughter of Speciosa, made all in testing conditions under Kieran O’Neill and the Cracksman filly will now have her sights raised with a trip to Chester planned next Wednesday.

“The first time I ran her, as a two-year-old, she was drawn very wide at Southwell and on Thursday night she was a 150-1 shot,” Sly added.

“But again, that’s weather-related. She likes the soft ground. I’m actually going to put her in the Cheshire Oaks (May 10) – I must be mad, mustn’t I?

“She’s fine and I’m going to step her up a furlong and a bit.”



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