| Course: NEWMARKET | Race date:16/04/08 | Race time:3:10 | Runners:11 |
| Race distance:7f | Going:Good | Winners time:1m 27.17s |
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Stall | Weight | Age | RPR | OR | Odds | B High | B Ave | B Low | In run | Finished | Dist Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stimulation | Steve Drowne | H Morrison | 1 | 9-3 | 3 | 0 | 106 | 15/8F | NA | NA | NA | NA | 1 | |
| Fat Boy | L Dettori | P W Chapple-Hyam | 7 | 9-6 | 3 | 0 | 109 | 5/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 2 | nse |
| Royal Confidence | Michael Hills | B W Hills | 4 | 8-13 | 3 | 0 | 102 | 12/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 3 | nk |
| Nacho Libre | William Buick | B W Hills | 5 | 8-12 | 3 | 0 | 101 | 22/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 4 | 2 |
| Maze | Tom Eaves | B Smart | 8 | 8-13 | 3 | 0 | 102 | 12/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 5 | 2 |
| Exclamation | Jamie Spencer | B J Meehan | 10 | 8-13 | 3 | 0 | 102 | 7/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 6 | nse |
| Philario | Fergus Sweeney | K R Burke | 2 | 9-4 | 3 | 0 | 107 | 14/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 7 | nk |
| Spirit Of Sharjah | J Murtagh | P W Chapple-Hyam | 11 | 9-7 | 3 | 0 | 110 | 12/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 8 | 1 |
| Berbice | Ryan Moore | R Hannon | 9 | 9-4 | 3 | 0 | 107 | 11/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 9 | ½ |
| Cake | Pat Dobbs | R Hannon | 3 | 8-13 | 3 | 0 | 102 | 33/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 10 | 9 |
| Brave Prospector | Jimmy Fortune | P W Chapple-Hyam | 6 | 8-12 | 3 | 0 | 101 | 12/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 11 | ¾ |
Stimulation held up, headway halfway, ridden and edged right over 1f out, ran on to lead post
Fat Boy led, ridden over 1f out, headed post
Royal Confidence tracked leaders, ridden and every chance from over 1f out, ran on
Nacho Libre held up, outpaced over 1f out, ran on inside final furlong
Maze held up, raced keenly, effort and not clear run over 1f out, switched left, stayed on, not trouble leaders
Exclamation held up, headway under pressure over 1f out, weakened well inside final furlong
Philario chased leader, ridden and edged right over 1f out, weakened inside final furlong
Spirit Of Sharjah held up, ridden over 1f out, not trouble leaders
Berbice prominent, ridden over 2f out, weakened final furlong
Cake started slowly, held up, weakened 2f out
Brave Prospector chased leaders, ridden over 2f out, weakened over 1f out
The winner had looked a colt with a future when second last year to Confront at Ascot and then, unluckily, to Beacon Lodge in the Horris Hill, and he has clearly trained on well, but having been held up just off the pace on the outside from stall one, he was one of the first to be ridden and took his time to reach top gear. Inching closer with every stride in the final furlong, he got his head in front right on the line in a three-horse finish that many thought had gone the way of long-time leader Fat Boy.
The extra furlong will suit him well if he takes his chance in the 2,000 Guineas, but he needed to win this in better style to be seriously fancied there. The widely available 33-1 looks about right.
Fat Boy, one of three saddled by Peter Chapple-Hyam and another sonof Choisir, like the winner, made a terrtfic start for his new stable, showing excellent speed throughout and leading until the very last stride. He had looked a suspect stayer on juvenile form, but this shows he clearly gets 7f, and his new trainer is considering stepping him up to 1m for the French 2,000 Guineas, where the turning track will help him get the extra distance.
Royal Confidence was the other guaranteed stayer, having graduated from nursery company last year to finish third behind Kitty Matcham in a Group 2 over this trip here at Newmarket. She almost got upsides Fat Boy running into the Dip, but the runner-up found plenty and in the end was just overhauled by the winner, too.
The first three were clear of Royal Confidence's stablemate Nacho Libre, who looked a sprinter at two but seemed to get the trip, and he was a couple of lengths clear of Maze, who had been taken down early and was restrained in rear, having become much too free last year after winning over this distance at Royal Ascot.
Maze was a bit keen again early on, but he ran better than his finishing postion suggests, making late ground once switched outside. He can clearly retain all of his ability if his energies can be harnessed better.
Exclamation looked a good prospect at two, but he was weak in the market through the morning and was coltish and above himself in the preliminaries. In the circumstances he did not run too badly, but one would want to see him again before backing him.
The Solario winner Philario weakened after racing prominently. He looks a sprinter, while on juvenile form one would have thought Spirit Of Sharjah was a sprinter, too, but having been held up to get the trip he was closing steadily at the finish, looking worth another chance at the distance at least.
Berbice didn't get home, but he was still well clear of Cake, who never looked likely to stay, and Brave Prospector, who raced close to the pace and was eased when beaten.
Johnny Murtagh reported that Spirit Of Sharjah became unbalanced, while Jimmy Fortune reported Brave Prospector lost his action. (GD)
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