Haggas on the Road to Ascot with Sea Silk
SEA Silk Road continued the red-hot recent run of William Haggas with a determined success in the William Hill Height Of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood.
A daughter of Sea The Stars, she was upped to Listed company having had just two previous outings but that did not prevent her from being sent off the 11-10 favourite.
Tom Marquand briefly looked short of room trapped in behind horses with a furlong and a half to run, as Jessica Harrington’s Viareggio made her bid for home, with Frankie Dettori on Emotion also to the fore.
All the while William Buick was smuggling Eternal Pearl into contention on the far side and she proved Sea Silk Road’s only danger when Marquand got her in the clear.
The front two pulled almost four lengths clear of Viareggio, with Haggas adding another notable victory in what has been an incredible week with the yard operating at a strike rate of almost 50 per cent.
“I think she is a promising filly and I’m pretty convinced she didn’t like that (soft) ground at all. It was her guts that got her though today, I think - and so did Tom, who said she was off the bridle three out and in trouble, but she wants to win,” said Haggas.
“She is a Sea The Stars and they can do anything. He is such a good sire. I think she will change (physically) and keep getting better and she might need some more time, but she has come a long way in a short space of time.
“I think she will get further as she gets stronger. The dam is by Doyen and they stay. I doubt we will put her away and bring her back. It is quite a hard thing to do, when the horses are running like they are at the moment.
“The Ribblesdale might be a bit quick, but we will see how she is.”
Asked about the yard’s purple patch and whether he had previously had such a good run, Haggas replied: “They are winning good races. They are not winning rubbish races, they are winning good races. That’s the great thing.”
The winner is now 10-1 from 16s with Betfair for the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Meanwhile, Royal Scotsman steamed into the Coventry Stakes picture with a slick five-length success in the William Hill Acca Club/British EBF Novice Stakes at Goodwood.
The Paul and Oliver Cole-trained son of Gleneagles finished sixth lengths behind Noble Style when fourth of eight on his debut at Ascot, but put that form well behind him with a scintillating effort, barely coming off the bridle under Jim Crowley.
The 100-30 chance broke well and was always close to the pace-setting Kaasib, easing to the front two furlongs out and lengthening in a matter of strides.
Bluelight Bay stuck on for second, with Mischief Magic doing his best work late a further length and a quarter back in third.
Oliver Cole said: “He never seemed to finish the race off at Ascot, but obviously he did there. I think he has sharpened up for the race and is clearly a good horse and the options and the future is bright.
“The Coventry is definitely something to think about now. Jim got off of him and said that the Coventry could be a good target, so we will have to think about that.
Later, Lawful Command showed plenty of tenacity to fight back and defeat Spinaround in the Goodwood Racecourse Patrons Handicap under a fine ride from Louis Steward.