Witness Stand makes Tom Clover’s day at Newbury

PA Sport Reporters
September 20, 2024 4:38 pm

And Anna Swan looks a star in the making for soon-to-retire Stoute.

Witness Stand ran out an emphatic winner of the Dubai Duty Free Cup at Newbury on Friday.

A field of eight runners went to post for the seven-furlong Listed contest and with Lake Forest a notable absentee, it was one-time Classic hope Nostrum who headed the market having undergone wind surgery since finishing second in Newmarket’s Criterion Stakes in late June.

However, not for the first time the 2-1 favourite proved bitterly disappointing, weakening rapidly when push came to shove and eventually finishing a tailed-off last.

Witness Stand, a handicap winner at Goodwood in early August before finishing second on his return to the Sussex Downs for his most recent start, was a 7-1 shot for Tom Clover and forged clear from the halfway stage on his way to a three-length verdict over English Oak.

“He’s a lovely horse who keeps improving and I’m absolutely thrilled. It’s a first stakes winner for us this year, so it’s great to get that under our belts,” Clover told Sky Sports Racing.

“We put him in the Challenge Stakes and he’s run well at the Rowley Mile (at Newmarket) before so we’ll go there I should think, as long as he’s well and everyone is happy.

“He deserves a crack at Group level now and we’ll go from there.”

Bigger and better things await Anna Swan after she maintained her unbeaten record with a comfortable success in the Dubai Duty Free Full Of Surprises British EBF Fillies’ Conditions Stakes.

An impressive winner on her racecourse debut at Yarmuth last month, the Cheveley Park-owned Sir Michael Stoute-trained filly was the 2-11 favourite to double up and dominated from the front.

Once asked to extend by William Buick, Anna Swan did so without too much fuss and passed the post with two lengths in hand over Saariselka.

Coral left the daughter of Almanzor unchanged at 25-1 for the 1000 Guineas and 20-1 for the Oaks.

Buick said: “I think she’s useful and there’s plenty of improvement left in her.

“Sir Michael was of the opinion that we should keep it no-nonsense and keep it simple. She led for the first time in her life, pricked her ears in front and quickened up well. I don’t think you could ask for much more on that ground.

“I think she’ll probably be better on better ground and she deserves to have a go at something nicer.”

Stoute’s assistant James Savage said: “She holds an entry in the Fillies’ Mile and there’s also the Oh So Sharp Stakes on the same day if we just wanted to take a gradual step.

“William was very complimentary about her, she’s versatile on any ground and she picked up nicely.

“She won’t have done much leading at home and she’ll have learnt plenty today.”

Andrew Balding struck gold in the prestigious Haynes, Hanson & Clark Novice Stakes with Regal Ulixes (85-40).

Third on his introduction at Goodwood, Oisin Murphy’s mount showed a willing attitude to prevail by a length and three-quarters from King Of Cities in a race that has the likes of Shergar, Rainbow Quest and Nayef on an illustrious roll of honour.

Balding said: “I think potentially he’s quite good. He shaped with a lot of promise on his first start, we’ve always liked what he did at home. It was a bit of a muddling race today, but all he could do was win it and he took a bit of pulling up, so he’s a horse with a future.

“He’s a well-bred horse and a very good-looking horse and he’s a horse we like a lot.

“He’s a horse who should go on next year and I think we’ll leave him until next year.”

Clive Cox saddled a treble on the card, landing both divisions of the Nick Robinson Memorial EBF Maiden Stakes with a pair of newcomers in Shameful (3-1) and Fast Track Harry (9-1) before Aysgarth (22-1) edged out Gilet by a nose in the Dubai Duty Free Nursery.

Of Shameful, the trainer said: “I couldn’t be more pleased with that. He’s done everything right at home without being hurried at all and we’ve just been patient. He’s done everything very easily.

“He behaved impeccably, led them all to the start and led them home, which was even more impressive.

“To have three winners on the day for everyone at home is very special.”