Roger Varian’s Elmalka came from last to first to spring a 28-1 surprise under Silvestre De Sousa in the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.
A fast-finishing third in the Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury on just her second start, the daughter of Kingman was again doing her strongest work late stepping up to a mile in the hands of former champion jockey Silvestre De Sousa.
It was French raider Ramatuelle who looked to have sealed the deal for Christopher Head as Aurelien Lemaitre made his move for home entering the dip, but the 9/2 second favourite was helpless as the closers descended on her in the final 50 yards, Elmalka finishing strongest of all to strike at odds of 28/1, with Donnacha O’Brien’s Porta Fortuna coming through for second.
As well as a first Classic on his home patch for Varian, it was a first British Classic for Brazilian De Sousa as he marked his comeback season to UK racing in style.
Varian said: “It’s not a surprise because I wouldn’t have run her if I didn’t think she’d run well, but you don’t come into these races thinking you’re going to win.
“She ran a big race at Newbury and she was green as grass. Credit to James Doyle as he gave her a super ride that day, he got an education into her and she finished strong. I felt in another 100 yards she might have been a length and a half winner as she was just taking off.
“We weren’t set on running in the Guineas that day, but the turnaround in the filly in the last fortnight has been quite incredible.
“She looked fantastic and she’d worked well. I was in two minds whether to run her as I wanted to do the right thing by the filly, but that’s why we’re here right, to have a go.
He went on: “I was thinking at halfway we weren’t really handling the track, but the further we went I thought she was coming into it, in the dip I thought we’d get a place and in the final 100 yards I did think we’d get there.
“It’s very special to train a Guineas winner for Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum, who has supported me all my career and supported Michael Jarvis before me. She’s a homebred filly out of Nahrain, who was my first Group One winner in the first year I trained, winning the Prix de l’Opera.
“I’m delighted for the owner and the team at home who put in so much hard work. It’s a team effort, these things don’t happen by accident and it’s a huge thrill, it hasn’t sunk in.
“You can’t be labelled just as a Leger winner, you need something with a bit of speed, so I’m delighted to have won a Guineas.
“James Doyle will ride the majority of mine when available, unfortunately for James his first priority is with Wathnan Racing and he’s in France today riding for them. Silvestre is not a bad substitute.”
De Sousa said: “I’ve been riding nice horses in the morning for Roger and in the afternoon as well and I’m just delighted with the opportunities that have been given to me.
“I’ve been working hard behind the scenes and I’m still able to do it. I’ve just been working hard and said we’d see how the season goes.
“It’s unbelievable, I’ve been trying to win a Classic for so long, so it’s great to get one.
“Coming down into the dip I could see the horses in front weren’t getting away from me and I hoped when I hit the rising ground she would pick up.
“She’s still a bit green and inexperienced, but she ran a good race at Newbury and she’s just learning. She’s really tough and game.”
Stay Alert powers home to claim Dahlia prize
Stay Alert stayed on strongly and delivered a decisive blow in the William Hill Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket.
With the six-strong line-up separating into two groups, David Egan was content to bide his time aboard Hughie Morrison’s five-year-old, as Heartache Tonight led from Running Lion on her side of the track.
Running Lion – seeking a win on this card for the second year running – moved up alongside Heartache Tonight and breezed to the front with half a mile to run and jockey Oisin Murphy seemed determined to break the spirits of her rivals as they entered the final quarter mile.
However, the petrol tank of 6/4 favourite ran out when meeting the rising ground with Stay Alert perfectly placed to take advantage, picking off Running Lion and galloping on to a three-and-a-half-length victory at odds of 5/1.
Morrison said: “We looked after her as a young horse and tried not to run her on fast ground as she’s quite heavy topped, but she’s always had a serious engine.
“The family has always stayed so we imagined she’d get a mile and a half, but I’d probably say a mile and a quarter is her perfect trip now.
“She was going to be retired, but Ben and Sir Martin (Arbib, owners) decided at the last minute they’d have another go. I actually said they ought to retire her because she’s such a beautiful broodmare prospect. I’m very sorry they aren’t here, but I’m sure they’ll be thrilled.
“David said he was always going to pick up the other filly (Running Lion), he just didn’t want to go for it in the dip. I said to him ‘if you’re in contention hitting the rising ground, you’ll win’.
“I suppose the obvious race to run in is the Pretty Polly (Curragh), in which we were a very unlucky second last year, but she does want decent ground.
“We’ll probably aim pretty high now, we’ll probably look at entering her in the Eclipse and races like that because if it’s soft in Ireland you probably want to go for the Eclipse.
“On her day she’s a very good horse and you’ve got to look at everything. I’m a great believer that five-year-olds have an advantage over four-year-olds as they must improve.”
Friendly Soul remains unbeaten in Pretty Polly
Kieran Shoemark helped cement his position with the Gosdens as he steered Friendly Soul to a stylish victory in the William Hill Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket.
John and Thady Gosden’s daughter of Kingman is a half-sister to a plethora of high-ranking winners and created a decent impression on debut at Kempton in December.
She confirmed the promise of that Sunbury effort on the Rowley Mile on Sunday where she was both tough and professional when sent forward from the start in the hands of Shoemark.
Having made most of the running, Friendly Soul (10/1) had enough in reserve to beat off the sustained challenge of 4-6 favourite Kaldana, with the duo pulling well clear of the rest of the field in the closing stages.
There was a length and a quarter between Friendly Soul and the heavily-backed Kaldana at the line, with a further 12 back to the third Kitteridge in a performance that sparks hopes of an exciting future.
Friendly Soul would have to be supplemented into the Betfred Oaks at Epsom, but joint-trainer John Gosden is instead eyeing a tilt at the French equivalent at Chantilly.
“I think it was a good race, I was impressed with the second when she won here at the Craven meeting so I think it was solid (form),” he said.
“I think she (Friendly Soul) is a lovely filly and I think she’s a mile and a quarter filly. She might be a filly for a visit to Chantilly (Prix de Diane).
“We’ve had a slow spring, it’s been very wet and cold so I haven’t been in a hurry with the horses. We hope that May is really the time they’ll start to come to themselves.”
Gosden also paid tribute to Shoemark, who he confirmed is now effectively first jockey at Clarehaven after Frankie Dettori’s decision to move to America.
“Kieran has waited quietly and we gave him some rides last year. He rode for me as a schoolkid, he used to come in the holidays to ride out, and has always been very natural.”
Source : Sky Sports
