Nakheel gallops on gamely to plunder Park Hill spoils

Owen Burrows and Jim Crowley team up for Doncaster strike.

The unexposed Nakheel took full advantage of her weight allowance to hold off the consistent Night Sparkle in the Betfred Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes at Doncaster.

Trained by Owen Burrows, the three-year-old was still a maiden when the season started and has been steadily improving in Pattern company since.

She finished a four-length third to Scenic in the Galtres Stakes at York’s Ebor meeting, but looked much more at home stepping up another two furlongs in trip.

Jim Crowley chose to make his challenge down the inside, which had been shunned in the previous race, but it did not make a difference.

Ryan Moore briefly looked to be holding all the aces on Grateful after Sumo Sam, last year’s winner, began to backpedal, but when stamina was at a premium, Grateful was found wanting.

Nakheel (10-1), sporting first-time cheekpieces, made her bid for home and had enough in the locker to hold off Night Sparkle by a length and a half.

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