SACRED’S A WONDER
Haggas maiden winner set for Royal date
SACRED is 8-1 for the Queen Mary Stakes after her debut victory on a Newmarket card where Royal Ascot clues flew thick and fast.
The William Haggastrained daughter of Exceed And Excel dashed to an impressive oneand-three-quarter-length call in the Betway EBF Stallions Maiden Fillies’ Stakes, the first of six juvenile contests as racing returned to Headquarters for the first time in 2020.
“She is one of those that is a natural,” said Haggas’ wife and assistant Maureen.
“She hasn’t been drilled at all but she has got bags of speed.”
Eye Of Heaven was highly fancied for his racecourse bow in the Betway EBF Stallions Novice Stakes and lived up to his even-money favourite’s billing to earn a crack at Ascot’s Norfolk Stakes.
The victory was Mark Johnston’s third of the week in the juvenile division and the Middleham trainer said: “He’s a big horse and he stands out from the crowd at home.”
Johnston’s stable form is matched only by Andrew Balding, who has sent out five winners from his Kingsclere base this week since racing resumed, including Bright
Devil, who defied 25-1 odds in the Betway Maiden Stakes (Div I) en route to the Chesham Stakes on the Gold Cup undercard.
Charlie Appleby has yet to commit Creative Force, who took the Betway Maiden Stakes (Div II), to the Coventry Stakes, but Roger Varian will bid for back-to-back strikes in the Albany Stakes – after Daahyeh’s win 12 months ago – with the Betway EBF Stallions Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (Div II) winner Setarhe (left, mauve cap).
Father and son Paul and Oliver Cole made history as the first training partnership to saddle a winner in Britain as Valpolicella took the Betway EBF Stallions Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (Div I) at 20-1.