Buick vows to continue title chase after Lingfield double

Defending champ Oisin Murphy hits back with Chelmsford four-timer.

William Buick kept up his bid for a first Flat Jockeys’ title with a double at Lingfield on Thursday, only for reigning champion Oisin Murphy to hit back with a four-timer at Chelmsford’s evening meeting.

Buick, completed his brace aboard the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Sorrel, who backed up recent wins at Leicester and Doncaster in the Ladbrokes EBF River Eden Fillies’ Stakes.

Picking up smartly once sent on by Buick down the home straight, the Dansili filly had more than enough in hand to hold off the staying-on Elizabethofaragon by a length and three-quarters.

Buick said of the 3-1 winner: “She has got her valuable black type and she stays very well. She is very straightforward, she is progressive and that was lovely. She definitely felt like she stepped forward from Doncaster.

“It went beautifully to plan today. The pace was pretty good. I could have done with a couple of them leading me a bit further, but she is filly that I know stays going in front.

“I don’t know what her future plans are, but she has won a Listed race now, so those staying Group races would have to be on her radar.”

Murphy’s Chelmsford wins give him a double-figure lead over Buick, but he has vowed to continue fighting all the way until the conclusion of the season at Doncaster on Saturday week.

Buick, who also struck on Fame N Fortune (5-4) in the Betway Handicap, added: “Obviously we have just over a week left, but I’m enjoying it still. We’ve chased it for a fair while now. We are where we are, but we will give it our absolute best shot until the end.”

The George Baker-trained Fame N Fortune (5-4) got the ball rolling for Buick when following up his recent course-and-distance success by a length and a quarter in the Betway Handicap.

Frankie Dettori steered Indie Angel to the most significant success of her career in the Ladbrokes EBF Fleur De Lys Fillies’ Stakes.

Having his first ride since finishing down the field on Alternative Fact in the Balmoral Handicap on British Champions Day at Ascot earlier in the month, Dettori was anchored close to the rear of the field for much of the race, before sweeping around the outside entering the final furlong and quickening clear to score by a length and a quarter.

Dettori said of John Gosden’s 12-1 winner, who he was riding for the first time: “I was listening to Rab (Havlin) and John and they told me to sit back and go around the outside of the field as she doesn’t like to go through horses and it worked a treat.

“She liked to have some clear air on the outside and she has won well. I started making my move just after the three as we were rolling downhill and we had some momentum.

“The most important thing was to get black type and get in the first three. Winning is a bonus, but she has done it well.”

Connections of Documenting are dreaming of a second appearance on All-Weather Championships Finals Day after the Kevin Frost-trained seven-year-old got up on the line to land the Bombardier British-Hopped Amber Beer Handicap by a neck.

Mick Brunt, member of joint-owners Kevin Frost Racing Club, said: “On Finals Day the year before last, unfortunately there wasn’t a seven-furlong race and he had to run over a mile. He ran well and came sixth, but this is his distance.

“It (Finals Day) was the plan before it was called off (in April). The decision was do we go for the six or the eight and I suppose that decision is there in the background.”

Tom Marquand got in on the double act, which was initiated by the Sylvester Kirk-trained newcomer Invite, who ran out a two-and-a-quarter-length winner of division two of the Play Ladbrokes 5-A-Side On Football/EBF Fillies’ Novice Median Auction Stakes.

Marquand said of the 18-1 winner: “She was nice and relaxed and pretty professional and she finished the job off with some effect.

“She could definitely go a mile on a track like this, but she showed a good bit of toe there.”

Jacinth (4-5) went one better than on her previous start at Chelmsford to form the second leg of Marquand’s haul with a decisive five-length victory in the Ladbrokes Watch Racing Online For Free/EBF Novice Stakes.

Marquand said of the William Haggas-trained winner: “She was impressive to be fair and I think the track suited her. She kicked off the bend pretty smartly. I probably rode her wrong last time, but hopefully we have made up for it today.”

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