What a month! Archie and the team at Saxon Gate sent out no fewer than 14 winners in April including Group 3 Fred Darling heroine DUTY FIRST. Victorious Racing’s filly powered clear of her rivals in the seven-furlong Classic trial at Newbury under Hollie Doyle to earn her place in the Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Three winners came in one evening at Wolverhampton on 26th April when Hollie notched a four-timer. Carrados, French Sand and Riyadh Gem boosted our strike rate in a two-week period to an impressive 31 per cent.
Wathnan Racing’s Carrados set the ball rolling with a dominant display in a five-furlong novice on his seasonal return, following three promising runs in novice and maiden company as a juvenile. His success was quickly followed by Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum’s French Sand drawing three lengths clear in a six-furlong fillies’ maiden. Indeed, it was just reward for her two second placed efforts in similar races at the West Midlands track.
Riyadh Gem completed the treble with a narrow verdict in an extended nine furlong handicap to supplement his nursery win at Southwell in November. Our Oasis Dream colt returned from a five-month break to comfortably justify favouritism.
Hollie helped one of our longest-standing owners Jonny Allison reach a proud landmark when she rode a treble at Lingfield Park at the end of the month. Her strength in a finish gained Calanthe the verdict in a mile handicap to see Jonny celebrate his 100th winner.
However, she wasn’t the only jockey in top form for the stable as our own Brodie Hampson celebrated a landmark day in Jersey on Easter Monday, riding out her claim with a notable double on Throne Hall and Blue Yonder.
Throne Hall got the month off to a flying start for Brodie by winning a two-mile amateur riders’ handicap at Musselburgh on the 2nd but backed that up with a three-length success at Les Landes around half an hour after Blue Yonder delighted favourite backers in the ten-furlong handicap.
Hambleton Racing’s Spartan Arrow confirmed himself a sprinter of huge potential by flying home over five furlongs at Epsom on 22nd April under Hollie and looks likely to head back to the Surrey track for the valuable Dash at the Derby Festival.
From speed to stamina, Hambleton’s Perfectly Timed looks a promising staying handicapper on the evidence of his mile and a half win at Thirsk on the same day. William Cox conjured a strong finish out of the Time Test four-year-old who was winning for the third time in only eight starts.
Key Witness showed the benefit of his debut run at Lingfield at the end of March when scoring in a Chelmsford City maiden a week later. Hollie made virtually all the running in the seven-furlong contest on the lightly raced son of Acclamation.
Middleham Park Racing’s Van Aert made a great start to his three-year-old campaign with a win in a mile and a half handicap at Kempton Park on 9th April, again for Hollie. Returning from a nine-month lay-off, their Masar gelding got up in the final strides on his handicap debut.
Another who made a smooth transition into handicaps was Arbib Bloodstock’s Scarlet Moon, who made a ‘winning’ start by dead-heating in a 12-furlong Southwell handicap early in the month. Gelded and returning from a six-month absence, he responded well to a typically determined Hollie to get home by just a neck.
A bumper April ended with Emaculate Soldier getting off the mark at the 10th attempt in a mile and three-quarter handicap at Wolverhampton. He was always in command in first-time blinkers to give Hollie yet another success for the stable.
By Simon Mapletoft
