Saffron Beach takes Atalanta spoils

Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Guineas runner-up too good at Sandown.

Saffron Beach made the most of dropping back to Group Three level as she regained the winning thread in the Betway Atalanta Stakes at Sandown.

The New Bay filly was a Group Two winner as a juvenile and has been highly tried by Jane Chapple-Hyam this term, finishing second in the Nell Gwyn Stakes on her seasonal bow before again filling the runner-up spot in the 1000 Guineas in May.

She then switched up to 12 furlongs for a crack the Cazoo Oaks, where she finished a distant eighth behind Snowfall, while a return to a mile in the Falmouth Stakes again yielded little joy.

Off the track since that run at the beginning of July, Saffron Beach was sent off a 9-2 shot to get back on track in this mile heat – and Hollie Doyle had her tucked in behind early leaders Auria and Maamora before making her move in the straight.

Saffron Beach showed a nice change of pace to take it up with two furlongs to run – and she was well on top in the closing stages, with Doyle keeping her up to the task to win by two and a quarter lengths.

Waliyak finished with purpose to take second, while outsider Ville De Grace was back in third.

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