Alice Haynes celebrates landmark victory with Lady Hollywood

Molly Hunter
September 1, 2022 4:19 pm

Breeders’ Cup the big aim for Group Three-winning filly.

Lady Hollywood provided Alice Haynes with the first Pattern-race win of her training career when victorious in the Group Three Prix d’Arenberg at Longchamp.

The two-year-old had won three times this year prior to setting off for France, most recently landing the Listed Marwell Stakes at Naas in July.

A run in the six-furlong Lowther Stakes at York showed that the filly did not appreciate a step up in trip to six furlongs, but a return to five supplied a Group prize on the continent for the Amo Racing-owned juvenile, who was partnered by Mickael Barzalona in Paris.

One of three British contenders, the chestnut broke swiftly and was eventually a straightforward winner in running prominently and quickening to cross the line a length and a quarter ahead of Vicious Harry.

“She did it very easily, Mickael wasn’t even hard on her,” said Haynes.

LADY HOLLYWOOD (GB)

✔️First Group winner for @ahaynesracing, who started training last year & already won Stakes races in 3⃣ countries
✔️First Group winner for leading first-season sire @WhitsburyManor HAVANA GREY (GB), who has 21 lots @Tattersalls1766 Somerville Yearling sale pic.twitter.com/UHikH9FH6e
— GBRI (@GBRI_UK) September 1, 2022

“I wouldn’t use the phrase ‘obliterated the field’, but she did leave them standing.

“We stepped her up, wrongly, to six furlongs and she didn’t see it out, it was great to see her show her speed again today. She deserved that.

“The instructions I gave to Mickael were just to make sure she jumped out of the gates, sit wherever she lands and she’ll try her heart out – that’s exactly what she did.”

Lady Hollywood’s triumph is not just a milestone for Haynes, but also for the stallion Havana Grey – sire of the filly and now off the mark with a Group-winning daughter.

Haynes said: “It’s great because it was Havana Grey’s first success and as a team it was our first Group success, too.

“You can’t fault her, she’ll likely have a break now and then she’ll head to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Earlier in the day, jockey Rossa Ryan and Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing outfit officially confirmed the end of their partnership.

Ryan announced at York’s Ebor meeting that he was parting company with his retained owner, but the details of the split were not made clear until the duo issued a joint-statement via Twitter on Thursday.

Persian Force was a star for Rossa Ryan in the Amo Racing colours (David Davies/PA)

Joorabchian said: “I would like to thank Rossa and I am particularly very happy and proud at everything we achieved together.

“We found Rossa as a young apprentice who looked hungry for success. He came on board the Amo team with little experience and has since developed into a wonderful jockey with a massively bright future, who I have no doubt will be among the best in the world in the near future.

“He has become part of our family in the last two years and he is very dear to our hearts.

“It is for this reason we respect the fact he now wants to explore wider pastures, so he goes with our full blessing and we hope he will ride for us again in the future.”

Ryan, who has tasted Group race glory with the likes of Go Bears Go, Hello You and Persian Force in the Amo silks, is eager to take on new challenges.

He added: “I would like to thank Kia for taking me from obscurity and placing me at the head of Amo Racing. It was a huge gamble for him to give such a mammoth opportunity to someone so young.

“Thankfully we’ve had fantastic success throughout our partnership.

“Personally, I wish him and Amo Racing the best of luck in the future – no doubt they will continue to be hugely successful.

“As a young jockey, I wish to explore new experiences. Leaving Amo has been a difficult decision and I will consider it an honour should they call on me in future.”