Gale Force Maya too strong for York rivals

Sprinter defies top weight to take Dash prize.

Gale Force Maya continued her progression when defying a big weight in the Sky Bet Dash at York.

The Michael Dods-trained mare may be six but she is clearly still progressing as, having chased home the classy Flotus in a Group Three at the track last time out – gaining valuable black type in the process – she won the GBP 65,000 prize off a handicap mark of 104.

Her goose looked cooked two furlongs out with Connor Beasley hard at work while several of his rivals were still on the bridle.

However, one thing Gale Force Maya does above everything else is try her heart out and as soon as she got to the front, it was going to take a big effort from one of her rivals to deny her an 11th career victory.

Dods will now try to win a Listed race with her.

“She loves her own space but I was debating whether we were running her back a bit quick as we only ran her two weeks ago,” said Dods.

“We’ve done very little with her this week. With it being so hot on Monday and Tuesday, we’ve just left her alone.

“I think that will probably be it for handicaps now, she’ll be out of them and we’ll go back up into Listeds – there’s one at Pontefract for her (Flying Fillies’ Stakes on August 14).

“They went very quick early and I thought she was in trouble two and a half out. He just managed to find her a bit of room and when he asked her, she came good.

“When she hits the front she doesn’t want to be passed and she loves it here.

“This was going to be her last year but if she keeps running like this she might run for another year.”

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