Diamond sparkles with Listed victory at Ayr

Molly Hunter
September 22, 2023 4:38 pm

Harry Rosebery honours go to Karl Burke-trained filly.

Karl Burke’s Beautiful Diamond made light work of the British EBF Stallions Harry Rosebery Stakes at Ayr.

The daughter of Twilight Son was the 5-6 favourite for the Listed event under Clifford Lee, with the race a return to five furlongs after a fifth-placed finish in the Lowther over six furlongs last time.

Though previously only seen on good or good to firm ground, this time the filly encountered a surface with more give but found no hardship in it as she made the running from stall four.

She was pursued by Purosangue but never headed and crossed the line a length ahead in what was a comfortable success.

“I was very pleased with her, she deserved that,” said Philip Robinson, assistant racing manager to owner Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum.

Beautiful Diamond and Clifford Lee (left) at Ayr (Steve Welsh/PA)

“She was third in the Queen Mary and didn’t get home at York over six furlongs, so five furlongs today was perfect.

“She’s very quick, that seems to be her game. I don’t rule out six furlongs in the future on faster ground, maybe next year, but at the moment she’s showing more and more speed.

“She doesn’t just look like a two-year-old, she’s the type of filly that may progress from two to three as she has a bit of scope about her.”

William Haggas’ Pink Crystal was then the winner of the Listed Arran Scottish Sprint EBF Fillies’ Stakes over five and a half furlongs having started at 7-1.

Jason Hart took the ride and guided the chestnut to a result that was a place better than last year’s runner-up spot as she won by a length and a half from Burke’s Secret Angel.

The run follows a Group Three effort at York in the Summer Stakes, where she was beaten only a length and three-quarters in fourth by Swingalong, with whom she shares an owner.

Robinson is also employed in the same assistant racing manager role for the owner in question, Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum, and said: “I was delighted with her, she ran a very, very good race at York.

“She did very well, she was stuck out on the wing all the way so she did so well to come home like she did behind Swingalong. It was a very good run.

“The plan today was to sit quite close to the pace but she was struggling with the ground early on, then she came home very strongly and I was very impressed with her.

“She’s a very tough filly, she loves her racing and she’s a very good competitor.”

The Virgin Bet Ayr Bronze Cup Handicap then went the way of David O’Meara’s Ascot Adventure, a 15-2 chance who was ridden to a three-quarter-length success by Ben Curtis.