The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Speedy colt is Bomb Proof at Beverley
Bomb Proof looks just that in the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes at Beverley.
He burst on to the scene at York’s Dante meeting last season, after which Frankie Dettori was waxing lyrical about the speedy colt.
In those days, he was trained by Jeremy Noseda – but since his retirement, Bomb Proof has been moved across Newmarket to James Fanshawe.
A son of Society Rock, Bomb Proof was favourite for the Windsor Castle this time last year but injury ruled him out of the meeting, and it must have been a pretty serious setback to keep him off for a year.
The fact he is reappearing over five, though, suggests he must be showing all the pace he displayed on his debut – and despite giving 7lb away all around, it does not look a very strong heat from the evidence on show.
Hugo Palmer’s Golden Pass ran well to be third in what looks a strong Newmarket novice event, and should open her account in the Leven Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.
She was third behind Roger Varian’s Queen Daenerys, who went on to run well in the Fillies’ Mile and has been second in the Pretty Polly this year, while the runner-up is rated in the 90s also.
Back in fourth was Bahrani Star, who massively outran her odds in the Ribblesdale last week, so a reproduction of that should be enough for Golden Pass.
William Haggas has not been in flying form since the resumption, but there are signs he is just clicking into gear now.
His Al Qaasim was third on debut at Haydock two weeks ago – and while the form looks nothing out of the ordinary, this already-gelded son of Free Eagle still looks the one to beat in the David Probert 1000 Winners And Counting Maiden Stakes at Chepstow.