Azure Blue shines in Chaloner contest

Another Newmarket win for Michael Dods’ runner.

Azure Blue continued her love affair with Newmarket in the Howden British EBF Ellen Chaloner Stakes.

The Michael Dods-trained filly returned to Headquarters unbeaten in two previous outings on the Rowley Mile, while she also has a victory at the July Course on her CV.

Making her first appearance since landing the Boadicea Stakes in October, the four-year-old was a 7-2 joint-favourite to claim another Listed prize and after travelling powerfully to the lead, she had kept enough up her sleeve to repel the late challenge of her market rival Heredia by half a length.

Dods said: “We’ve been delighted with her at home and she was fit enough to run, but we do think there’s quite a bit of improvement to come.

“Paul (Mulrennan) had ridden her in a few bits of work and was very happy with her and she does seem to have speeded up a lot since last season.”

Azure Blue holds an entry in the 1895 Duke of York Clipper Stakes at York on May 17, but is not certain to make the trip to the Knavesmire.

“It was an early closing race so we put her in it. I’ll speak to the owner and see,” Dods added.

“She’s a big filly who wouldn’t want the ground too fast, so where she goes will depend on the ground.”

Charlie Appleby’s King Of Conquest denied the King a winner on his coronation day in the nine-furlong Howden Suffolk Stakes.

The winner was a 7-1 shot to supplement a winter success in Bahrain and knuckled down for William Buick to deny Frankie Dettori aboard Saga by a head.

Appleby said: “He’s a horse who ran well to finish second here in soft ground last year and when he won in Bahrain, Richie (Mullen, jockey) said he hated the ground and was crying out to step up in trip.

“Today the plan was to be positive on him as I was confident with the ground and I was confident with the way that William was going to ride him that they’d have to outstay him.

“We haven’t really planned beyond this, but I’d say he’s a good handicapper – he’s going to have to improve a good bit to be a black type horse.”

Probe claimed a lucrative victory at Newmarket
Probe claimed a lucrative victory at Newmarket (Nigel French/PA)

Probe (15-2) provided trainer Jennie Candlish with her first Newmarket winner in the GBP 100,000 Howden Handicap under Kieran O’Neill.

Candlish’s partner and assistant, Alan O’Keeffe, said: “I’m happy because he’s a proper horse, he’s always showed us that.

“We thought he was better than his rating. We haven’t got many Flat horses, but Jennie does a good job with them, whether they’re three-mile chasers or six-furlong sprinters.

“These are the places you want to be and it’s great for a yard like ours.”

Teumessias Fox won the opening race at Newmarket on Saturday
Teumessias Fox won the opening race at Newmarket on Saturday (Nigel French/PA)

A 10lb rise in the weights for was not enough to prevent Andrew Balding’s 100-30 favourite Teumessias Fox making it back-to-back wins in the Howden Handicap.

The four-year-old bolted up on his first start since being gelded at Kempton in March and followed up with a comfortable three-and-a-quarter-length success in the hands of Oisin Murphy.

Balding said: “He’s a horse we thought a lot of last year, he ran in a Derby trial at one stage and sort of lost his way after (Royal) Ascot.

“He’s been gelded and had a good break and I think we’ve learnt he wants his races spaced out.

“Hopefully he doesn’t go up too much to get into one of the Ascot handicaps. I would have thought the mile and a half (Duke of Edinburgh Stakes), but we’ll probably put him in the Copper Horse as well.”

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