Sun can shine on Miami Girl in Sprint
The Richard Hannon team have farmed the Weatherbys Super Sprint over the past three decades and in Miami Girl they have another major contender for top honours tomorrow.
It is 31 years since the valuable sales race was first run – and 12 months later the rapid juvenile filly Lyric Fantasy provided Richard Hannon senior with the first of his record seven victories.
Hannon junior has continued the domination since taking over the licence, saddling four of the last eight winners of the £200,000 contest including each of the last two.
The Herridge handler is well represented this time around with no less than five runners, but Miami Girl is undoubtedly the form pick.
The daughter of Cotai Glory made a huge impression on her racecourse debut at Newmarket in May – and while she subsequently failed to fire at York, there was far more encouragement to be taken from her fifth place in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot.
Miami Girl has since made the most of having her sights lowered with a comfortable success at Windsor, readily accounting for a subsequent Listed race runner-up in Cuban Mistress. Hannon’s charge has a couple of lengths to make up on likely favourite Maria Branwell, who finished third in the Queen Mary, but is more than twice the price and looks the value call.
A big field of 14 will go to post for the Group Three bet365 Hackwood Stakes and in the absence of impressive Chipchase Stakes winner Sense Of Duty, a final chance is taken on Hugo Palmer’s Dubawi Legend. On two occasions in his six-race career the three-year-old has looked like living up to Palmer’s high opinion. He absolutely bolted up on his debut and was expected to follow up in the Acomb at York, but was only third to Royal Patronage.
While there was no disgrace in that, he went on to give Native Trail a real fright in the Dewhurst to show the ability is well and truly there.
He can be forgiven a disappointing run at the Breeders’ Cup but he was too keen in both the Guineas and Jersey Stakes this season. Palmer has fitted him with cheekpieces here and if they work, there is no doubt he has the ability to win this. The drop in trip can help Jim Boyle’s Going Gone return to winning ways in the Highclere Castle Gin Cup Stakes. He won his final start at three in good style and defied a 7lb rise first time out this season at Epsom.
Subsequently third at Epsom and fourth in the Ascot Stakes when beaten just over two lengths by Coltrane, this two-mile trip could be the making of him. The Ric And Mary Hambro Aphrodite Fillies’ Stakes is the feature event at Newmarket, with Mukaddamah expected to take plenty of beating.