King Fairy wings to victory as Curtis lands Hamilton double
● Haggas charge digs deep to win in only the second race of his career
King Fairy could be a horse to follow after initiating a Ben Curtis double at Hamilton Park yesterday.
The meeting was the latest in Scotland to be staged behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic and detailed protocols designed by the BHA and wider racing industry were again in place.
Sent off the 6-4 favourite, he was the only runner of the card for Newmarket trainer William
Haggas in the Join Racing TV Now Maiden Stakes.
Curtis, pictured, said: “He had to dig deep in the end but he was game and this was only the second race of his career. He answered my call and he is a nice type of horse hopefully with a bright future.”
Granite City Doc, formerly trained by recently-retired Lucy Normile, won at the first time of asking for Ayrshire-based Mike Smith in the Every Race Live On Racing TV Handicap.
The 11-1 chance scored comfortably in the hands of Andrew Mullen who said afterwards: “I rode him when he nearly gave Lucy a farewell winner at Newcastle so it was nice to go one better on him today.”
Roger Fell-trained Smeaton sealed a short-priced double for Curtis when winning the first race of his career at the 13th time of asking in the racingtv.com Handicap.
Meanwhhile, at Windsor today, up-and-coming trainer Tom Clover, who has started the season in great nick, can bag another winner courtesy of Broughtons Gold in the Download The At The Races App Handicap, writes Glendale.
The selection was a recent winner at Newbury, doing it quite comfortably at that. Still unexposed after only three career starts, he looks to have more to give yet.
Quickstep Lady can demonstrate her winning moves in the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Fillies’ Novice Stakes at Yarmouth.
Unplaced in two juvenile outings, Quickstep Lady was not beaten far by the welltouted Stylistique on her return at Newbury earlier this month.
While she proved no match for the winner or secondplaced African Dream, Quickstep Lady kept on at her own pace in the final furlong and a repeat of that level could be good enough.
Al Watan made a fine start to his career with a second at Newbury and can improve on that in the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Novice Stakes. Beaten a length and a half by First Prophet, Al Watan is certainly bred to stay further than the seven furlongs he tackles here.
Proud Archi makes a swift reappearance in the Paul Morris “Moz” 50th Birthday Celebration Handicap at Thirsk.
Second at the track on his seasonal return last week, he was staying on late in the day to grab second, beaten a length and a quarter at the line.
He relishes this seven furlongs and given that was his first outing for 324 days, he should take a leap forward, as long as he can avoid the bounce factor.