The Owen Burrows-trained Waardah took top honours in the feature Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes on the opening day of Doncaster’s St Leger Festival, with Callum Rodriguez in the saddle. First-time headgear worked the oracle for Owen Burrows’ Waardah who ran out an ultimately impressive winner of the Betfred Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster. Sporting a hood for the first time in a race, she was more tractable for Callum Rodriguez and she added another Group Two win to her record having landed the Lillie Langtry at Goodwood last season. The heatwave has hampered her progress this summer as she prefers some cut in the ground and when third in the same Goodwood event last month, that was just her second start of the season.
Sir Mark Prescott’s Consent made a bold bid from the front, but Waardah (5-2) wore her down and pulled a length and three-quarters clear of the staying on Danielle. Burrows is now eyeing a possible bid for a Group One double, with the Prix de Royallieu on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp and Champions Day at Ascot both on his radar. “I’m pleased the hood was on because she jumped a little bit too well. She wears it at home because she’s not easy and the team at home do a good job keeping a lid on her,” he said.
“She got into a nice rhythm and two furlongs out I was happy. St Leger: Mike Cattermole’s big race runners guide Racing round-up: Raaheeb finished for the season following setback Leger tips! Dave Orton’s Doncaster Classic prediction Hollie Doyle: Owen Burrows’ filly can claim Park Hill success Today on Sky Sports Racing: Leger meeting at Doncaster kicks off with Park Hill and May Hill clashes Today on Sky Sports Racing: Jumps action from Sedgefield features live on Wednesday “She’s in the race in France and if that went well and Ascot turned up soft and she was well, I wouldn’t be afraid to back her up. See the latest horse racing news, interviews and features from Sky Sports Racing “She’s had a quiet year because the ground hasn’t been in her favour at all and I can imagine she’ll be heading to the breeding shed after (this season).” Rodriguez added: “That was very good, delighted with that.
She’s promised that all year and with a bit of cut in the ground today we could see her to best effect. “She likes that ground and stays very well. The race unfolded perfectly for her as there was a nice, even tempo, the track suited with the long straight and she stays well. “She was strong through the line, it was a nice performance.” Charlie Bishop timed his challenge to perfection on the heavily-backed Night In Vegas to win the Weatherbys £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes.
Dorigo cut out the early pace alongside Satellite Of Love, with the Eve Johnson Houghton-trained Night In Vegas handily placed in midfield. Satellite Of Love was the first to go for home but Night In Vegas, whose owners Kennet Valley Syndicates won this race last year with Calendar Girl, was always travelling smoothly in behind. Never miss a story with all the latest racing news, interviews and features on your phone. Find out more The 5-6 favourite was shaken up as they entered the final furlong and hit the front with a 100 yards to go and was pushed out to win by half a length.
The winner was fresh from victory in a similar contest at Newmarket, and Johnson Houghton said: “As I said to the owners after last time he won, this is jam now, but it’s lovely jam to get! “It’s a nice jam sandwich, but there’s plenty more to come.” Night In Vegas was fifth in the Coventry and third in the Vintage Stakes earlier in the season. However, Johnson Houghton is keen to continue to “go for the money” instead of stepping back up to Group-race company this autumn. “It’s really hard as a three-year-old to win big money, so you’ve got to win it this year, and then you can go and have fun in black-type races or whatever and try to be clever, but let’s just go for the money,” she added.
“He’s in the Redcar race (Two Year Old Trophy) and he’s also in the seven-furlong Tattersalls October Auction Stakes, it just depends whether we go back to six furlongs or go up to seven, and then I think we’ll probably end up at Ascot for the conditions race on Champions Day. “It’s been a great year. Last year we hit the £1m barrier with the help of Zavateri and this year we’ve got some really good horses across the board. “This horse has definitely been a money-spinner and I’m so lucky to be training him for a great bunch of owners.” Saffie Osborne made the perfect start to a big few days on Town Moor by steering Speed Of Sound to a runaway success in the British Stallion Studs ‘Carrie Red’ EBF Fillies’ Nursery Handicap.
It emerged earlier this week Osborne would get a shot at Classic glory on Saturday after being booked to partner the Joseph O’Brien-trained Highwayman in the 250th Betfred St Leger. Following a third-place finish behind Sun Goddess in a valuable sales race at York last month, the Richard Spencer-trained Speed Of Sound was the 7-4 favourite for the St Leger Festival’s curtain-raiser and she dominated from the front, coming home a length and three-quarters clear of the chasing pack. Osborne said: “It was like riding a piece of work! She’s a really lovely filly and very straightforward.
I didn’t want to make the running but she jumped so quick and was very professional. “I was able to set pretty even fractions and every time I asked her for a bit more she found it. I’ve always really liked her, it’s just taken a while for the penny to drop. “Looking at her she’s going to be a far nicer filly next year – she’s big, strong and robust and I see no reason why she won’t stay seven furlongs well.” Spencer added: “The ground at York was too soft for her, but she still ran with credit.
Hopefully we can enjoy today and make a plan for the rest of the year. “We’ll see what the handicapper does. There’s a handicap at Newmarket, or we may have to go into stakes races, which I think she’s capable of doing.”
