Tag Archive for: May Hill Stakes

Desert Flower blooms in impressive May Hill success

Desert Flower justified even money favouritism and maintained her unbeaten record when finishing powerfully to win the Betfred May Hill Stakes at Doncaster.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, the Night Of Thunder filly had won two races at Newmarket before stepping into Group Two company.

She briefly looked in a spot of bother two furlongs out as Ollie Sangster’s Flight cruised into the lead still hard on the bridle, while William Buick was getting lower in the saddle on the market leader.

Desert Flower changed gear soon after, however, and she ended up stamping her class on the race.

She went on to win by a length and a half from Aidan O’Brien’s January, with Flight fading back into third.

Coral cut the winner to 12-1 from 16s for next season’s 1000 Guineas, while Paddy Power make her 4-1 from 6-1 for the Fillies’ Mile.

Buick said: “That was very pleasing. Obviously she’s done everything right so far and you look at her and she’s a nice, big filly with plenty of scope for next year.

“I was always happy and she handled the ground. She just had a look when she got to the front, which you can always excuse on an inexperienced two-year-old. I was delighted with her.

“She came into the race very easily, which is the sign of a quality horse obviously, and she kind of confirmed what she showed us at home and on the racecourse on her first two starts.”

Appleby’s assistant Alex Merriam said: “We’ll take that, Will was very pleased with her. She travelled very nicely through the race and was professional. She had a little look when she hit the front, but she’s seen it out well and we couldn’t ask for any more really.

Desert Flower pulled away to win nicely
Desert Flower pulled away to win nicely (Mike Egerton/PA)

“Will said he didn’t think the ground matters too much either way. I don’t think it’s too soft out there, but she handles different sorts of ground and fingers crossed we can go to the Fillies’ Mile now.

“She showed that turn of foot at Newmarket, but in maiden and novice races, so you never know quite what you’ve got or what you’ve beaten until you take in the good races, but she’s done it nicely and deserves a shot at a Group One now.

“She’s not a flashy work horse, she’s always done everything nicely but she wouldn’t set the world alight at home. That can be the way sometimes.

“We’ll go for the Fillies’ Mile and see where we go from there, but she’s a big, scopey filly, so hopefully all she’s going to do is improve.

“I’d say she’s our best two-year-old filly anyway.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Doncaster TV Trends: Thursday 12th Sept 2024

The ITV cameras head to Doncaster racecourse in the middle of September (12th-15th) for the 4-day St Leger Meeting – they will be covering races on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday – with races spread across both ITV and ITV4.

As always, here at GeeGeez, we’ve got it all covered with all the TV race trends and stats – these should help narrow down the fields and also highlight the best profiles of horses that have done well in the races in the past.

Thursday 12th September 2024

1:50 - British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies´ Stakes (Nursery Handicap) Cl2 6f110y ITV4

21/21 – Had raced in the last 7 weeks
19/21 – Carried 9-3 or less
18/21 – Rated 74 or higher
17/21 – Placed third or better last time out
17/21 – Had won at least one race before
15/21 – Won by a Feb or Mar-born foal
15/21 – Had won over 6f or 7f before
14/21 – Placed favourites
10/21 – Came from a double-figure stall
10/21 – Won last time out
7/21 – Winning favourites
5/21 – Had run at Doncaster before
2/21– Won by the Hannon team
2/21 – Won by the Richard Fahey team
2/21 – Won by the Paul Cole yard
2/21 – Trained by Karl Burke (2 of the last 7)
7 of the last 8 winners came from stalls 7 or lower

2.25 - Weatherbys Scientific £200,000 2-Y-O Stakes (GBB Race) Cl2 6f110y ITV4

19/20 – Raced within the last 5 weeks
16/20 – Finished 5th or better last time out
15/20 – Yet to win over 6 ½ or 7f
15/20 – Won between 1-2 times
13/20 – Winning distance – 1 length or less
11/20 – Won from a double-figure stall
11/20 – Raced at York last time out
11/20 – Placed favourites
10/20 – Foaled in Jan or Feb
6/20 – Won last time out
4/20 – Winning favourites
4/20 – Placed horses from stall 1
3/20 – Trained by Richard Fahey (including 2 or the last 10 runnings)
2/20 – Had raced at Doncaster before
2/20 – Trained by Brian Meehan
2/20 – Won by a filly
2/20 – Trained by Andrew Balding (2 of the last 5)
2/20 - Trained by Roger Varian (2 of the last 7)
2/20– Trained by Kevin Ryan (2 of last 11)
1/20 – Irish-trained winners
12 of the last 17 winners carried 8-12 or less in weight

3.00 – Betfred May Hill Stakes (Group 2) Cl1 1m ITV4

20/22 – Had 1 or 2 previous career wins
20/22 – Had won over 7f+ before
20/22 – Won by a Feb, Mar or April foal
18/22 – Had 2 or more previous career runs
15/22 – Won last time out
10/22 – Ran at Newmarket last time out
9/22 – Drawn in stalls 1 or 2
8/22 – Winning favourites
4/22 – Won by a Godolphin-owned horse
4/22 – Trained by John Gosden
2/22 – Trained by Richard Hannon
2/22 – Trained by Karl Burke (2 of the last 7)
13 of the last 18 winners returned 4/1 or shorter in the betting
Trainer Aidan O’Brien has only won the race once (2018)

3.35 – Betfred Park Hill Stakes (Group 2) (Fillies & Mares) Cl1 1m6f132y ITV4

19/21 – Aged 3 or 4 years-old
18/21 – Returned 8/1 or shorter in the betting
18/21 – Drawn in stall 8 or lower
17/21 – Ran within the last 6 weeks
16/21 – Won no more than 4 times before
15/21 – Came from the top 3 in the betting
14/21 – Placed favourites
12/21 – Previous Group winners
10/21 – Had run at Doncaster before
9/21 – Had won over at least 1m6f before
8/21 – Irish bred
8/21 – Won last time out
7/21 – Winning favourites
6/21 – Won the Lillie Langtry (Goodwood) that season
6/21 – Raced at Goodwood last time out
4/21 – Trained by John Gosden
2/21 – Ridden by Ryan Moore
2/21 – Trained by Sir Michael Stoute
2/21 – Trained by Ralph Beckett (2 of the last 8)
Trainer Aidan O’Brien has never won this race

4:10 – Pertemps Network Handicap Cl2 (3yo 0-105)

Just one past running
Trainer Marco Botti won the race in 2023
Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton has a 50% SR with his 3 year-olds at the track
Trainer Sir Michael Stoute has a 30% SR with his 3 year-olds at the track
Trainer Ed Walker has a 25% SR with his 3 year-olds at the track
Trainer Owen Burrows has a 25% SR with his 3 year-olds at the track
Trainer John Gosden has a 24% SR with his 3 year-olds at the track
Trainer Hugo Palmer has just a 4% SR with his 3 year-olds at the track
Trainer Simon Crisford has just a 4% SR with his 3 year-olds at the track

================================================

TRAINERS-QUOTES.COM

GET THE BEST DAILY TRAINER INFO FROM 13 TOP STABLES - Sent direct to your in-box!

**SPECIAL OFFER** TRY US FOR JUST £1.99!!

FIND OUT MORE HERE

==================================================



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Darnation too good for May Hill rivals

Karl Burke strengthened his grip on the juvenile fillies’ division when Darnation ran out a ready winner of the Betfred May Hill Stakes at Doncaster.

Fallen Angel had already stated her case to be the leading two-year-old filly when impressing in the Moyglare Stud Stakes in Ireland last weekend.

Now it appears one of her biggest rivals for top honours may be based in the same Leyburn yard in North Yorkshire after Darnation’s price for next year’s 1000 Guineas was halved from 20s to 10-1 by Coral.

Impressive in soft ground last time out in a Group Three at Goodwood, she had less questions to answer than most and when one of her market rivals, Ollie Sangster’s Romanova, got wound up going to post and ran keen in the early stages, there was one less to worry about.

See The Fire did follow Darnation through and looked a danger, but Clifford Lee was able to keep a bit up his sleeve and the 11-10 favourite bounded three lengths clear.

“They didn’t go quick and when I asked her, she quickened up really well for a few strides and then galloped on towards the line,” said Lee.

“She’s very good and I’d like to see her next year when she’s physically and mentally stronger.

“She handles that soft ground, she does stay very well and she does have a bit of boot about her as well, so we’ll see next year how we get on.”

Burke was not on track, but said: “She’s a classy filly, on that ground she’s very good. We’ll have to see how she is on quicker ground but she’s tough, she stays and she’s just very good.

“She’s not in the Fillies’ Mile but she is in the Prix Marcel Boussac. I haven’t spoken to the owners but she’d be more likely to get her ground in France.

“Who knows about next year? She’s not the biggest in the world, but she should strengthen up even if she doesn’t grow much and if she bumps into soft ground she could be anything.

“On fast ground Fallen Angel would be in front of her, but ground is the key to this filly.

“I was all set to come today but I had a busy morning and decided not to. They don’t run any faster for me being there!”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Darnation carrying hopes of another high-level victory for Burke

Darnation bids to provide trainer Karl Burke with yet another big-race success in the juvenile division in Thursday’s Betfred May Hill Stakes at Doncaster.

The Spigot Lodge handler has saddled more than 40 two-year-old winners in 2023, the most notable of which came in Ireland last weekend as Fallen Angel rocketed to the head of ante-post lists for next year’s 1000 Guineas with victory in the Moyglare Stud Stakes.

That was Burke’s first at Group One level since landing the Prix Rothschild four years ago with star filly Laurens, who actually registered her first win at Pattern level in the May Hill in 2017.

https://x.com/Goodwood_Races/status/1695424012602540221?s=20

Burke feels that while Darnation perhaps lacks the class of Fallen Angel, she has plenty in her favour on Town Moor as she looks to add to her previous wins in novice company at Thirsk and in the Group Three Prestige Stakes at Goodwood three weeks ago.

He said: “The trip, the track, the ground and everything will suit. She’s not a flashy work horse at home, but she seems very well and any rain I would imagine will be to her advantage – it certainly won’t be a disadvantage to her.

“She was very tough down at Goodwood and she put up a very good performance to break her maiden at Thirsk. That form was franked to a degree, with the second horse (Nighteyes) that she beat 10 lengths coming out and winning next time.

“I can’t hand on heart say she’s in the league of Fallen Angel, but she’s obviously a talented filly and she goes there as the top-rated horse in the race, so it’s very exciting.”

William Haggas saddles Hard To Resist at Doncaster
William Haggas saddles Hard To Resist at Doncaster (Mike Egerton/PA)

Darnation is set to renew rivalry with the William Haggas-trained Hard To Resist, who was just over two lengths behind her when third at Goodwood in the royal colours of the King and Queen.

“She ran well at Goodwood, staying on well behind Darnation. Unfortunately Darnation has got a good draw, as have we, and hopefully we can do a bit better, but Darnation is the one to beat,” Haggas told Sky Sports Racing.

“Both Cieren Fallon, who won on her at Newmarket, and Saffie Osborne, who rode her at Goodwood, reported that she’ll be better on better ground, so if it does dry up a bit that will suit her.”

Other contenders for the Group Two prize include a pair of July course debut winners in Ralph Beckett’s Meribella and Andrew Balding’s See The Fire, Ollie Sangster’s runaway Salisbury scorer Romanova and the hat-trick seeking Zenjabeela from Roger Varian’s yard.



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns