Baradar is 200th winner for Ryan

Horse Racing

Graham Clark
August 17, 2020 10:30 am

Young jockey brings up landmark in Newbury maiden.

Rossa Ryan celebrated a landmark 200th career win on debutant Baradar in the opening division of the Unibet EBF Maiden Stakes at Newbury.

The 20-year-old reached the milestone in the colours of his boss Kia Joorabchian, who operates under the Amo Racing Limited banner, as the Muhaarar colt provided trainer Roger Varian with his seventh winner of the weekend.

Held up during the early stages of the seven-furlong contest, the 13-8 favourite warmed to the task well before defeating fellow newcomer General Lee by three-quarters of a length.

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Ryan said: “It’s great to get to 200 winners in only my fourth season – I really can’t complain how things are going.

“I had only ridden Baradar once beforehand at Mr Varian’s, but he gave me a lovely feel. He was very professional today when they got to the later stages of the race.

“To do what he did on that ground today showed me he has an incredible attitude.

“Mr Joorabchian has got some lovely horses – they are really starting to come to the fore, and it could be a very nice year for us.”

Ryan hopes his latest success is a sign of things to come for the Archie Watson-trained Devilwala, who is part-owned by Joorabchian, in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York on Thursday.

He added: “He did nothing wrong first time out and was very professional.

“He gave me a great feeling and only did what he had to do. I sat on him on Friday, and he felt great, and Archie is very happy. It is all systems go for the Gimcrack.”

Twelve months after sending out subsequent Group One winner Quadrilateral to make a winning debut on this corresponding card, trainer Roger Charlton repeated the trick with newcomer Beheld – who took the Unibet Thanks The Frontline Workers EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes by a head.

Charlton said of the 11-4 winner: “The plan was to drop in, but it is difficult when you are drawn one and you jump out to the right, but she settled well and kept on well.

“She is a filly with a future. She is a big rangy filly, and we don’t want to over-race her. She compares pretty well to the juvenile fillies.”

A return trip to York for the Sky Bet Ebor on Saturday may be on the cards for Rhythmic Intent (100-30), who put in a fine weight-carrying performance to initiate a double for Oisin Murphy with a three length victory in the Unibet You’re On Handicap.

Winning trainer Stuart Williams said: “He won over a mile and a quarter at York earlier in the year – but he needs that bit of cut in the ground, and that’s key to him.

“We’ve got him in the Ebor next weekend, but whether he is high enough (in the weights) to get in I don’t know.”

There was a sad postscript to the race after the William Haggas-trained Space Walk, owned by The Queen, suffered a fatal leg injury.

Maureen Haggas, wife and assistant, said: “If you lose one it is sad. It is sad for the Queen who bred him, and we have had all the family. The vets were brilliant, though, with him.”

Champion jockey Murphy completed his double aboard the James Ferguson-trained Zoetic (16-1) in the Listed Unibet St Hugh’s Fillies’ Stakes.

Alenquer (13-2) ensured the day ended on a positive note for Haggas when running out a decisive two-and-three-quarter-length winner in division two of the seven-furlong novice.

She added: “He did well and he will improve.

“To win this early is a little bit surprising, because he is very much a next-year horse.

“He was really well-behaved today. He physically looks like a stayer.”