Wakening sharp enough on Newmarket bow

Graham Clark
August 8, 2020 6:39 pm

Newcomer triumphs for The Queen.

Wakening earned quotes for next year’s 1000 Guineas after carrying the colours of The Queen to glory in the Betway “Newcomers” Maiden Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket, initiating doubles for John Gosden and Rab Havlin in the process.

Sitting front rank throughout the seven-furlong contest, the daughter of Dark Angel showed a likeable attitude on her debut to get the better of a late duel with Statement by a neck.

Following the race, Wakening was introduced at 33-1 by Betway, Paddy Power and William Hill for the mile fillies’ Classic.

Gosden said of the 9-1 winner: “She was in the stalls a long time, so when the gates opened she decided she wanted to be out of there. We don’t normally jump and bowl along like that, but she is a lovely filly with a lot of scope and has a great stride on her.

“I was impressed with her and the second, as they have opened up on the field and you don’t often have two go away like that in a newcomers’ race. It was a very nice introduction.

“She has got a good mind on her and the scope. She is a very likeable filly. We could go seven or a mile, as that would be in her compass as her mother stayed it.”

Al Rufaa (5-2) continued his progression by making it a hat-trick of wins for the season to complete Gosden and Havlin’s brace in the Betway Handicap by two lengths.

Gosden said: “They get on well together. He is an improving horse, but putting the hood back on him has helped a lot. He is going the right way.

“We thought this was the race with the more exposed horses in, as we were in this and the mile handicap. He is gradually making steady improvement.”

Mark Johnston notched up his 99th winner of the year as Cognac (6-4) made a successful start over a mile and a quarter in the Play 4 To Win At Betway Handicap to form the opening leg of a double for jockey William Buick.

The Middleham handler said: “William has ridden him in all his races and said about stepping him up in trip last time. John O’Connor, who owns half of him, said he was a bit unsure on the pedigree side whether he would want to be stepping up in trip, but he got it well and it looks like he could go further.”

Classic-winning rider Buick completed his haul aboard the Andrew Balding-trained Coltrane (8-15) who followed up his last-time-out success at Chepstow when taking the Read Andrew Balding On Betway Insider Handicap by a length and three-quarters.

Thank You Next (7-2) took a step up to seven furlongs in her stride when getting the better of the hat-tricking seeking Magisterium by a neck in the Betway Nursery Handicap.

Trainer Richard Hannon said: “She wants seven furlongs clearly. She never stood a chance behind the Simon Crisford horse at Goodwood (Zamaani) as that was thrown in.

“She didn’t like coming down the hill at Goodwood and only started making ground when she hit the rising ground. I think she will like soft ground and she might even get further.”