Cityscape romps home by seven lengths in Joel Stakes
Cityscape is a horse whose talent had so far been matched by his giant frame but not his performances on the track.
He was rated a lively outsider for last year’s 2000 Guineas but trailed in 23 lengths behind Sea The Stars and was not seen out again until this season, where a promising run in a handicap at Newbury in April then led to an exasperating second in a Listed race at Ascot two weeks later.
But his trainer, Roger Charlton, has taken his time – realising that he had to pick both his time and his ground with colt who hits the ground hard - and worked a way back through the ranks. A Listed win at Haydock Park three weeks ago showed that ability was still there and it was delivered upon when Cityscape won the Group Three Nayef Joel Stakes at Newmarket.
Penitent was expected to relish the soft-ground conditions, with trainer William Haggas saying that he would have preferred even more give in the ground. However, Penitent was already starting to give when the field hit the final quarter-mile on the pace that had been set by Tamaathul.
But the race was effectively over when Steve Drowne brought Cityscape for a run wide of the field as he pulled seven lengths clear of the rallying Penitent, who kept on for second from Fair Trade by a nose.
“He likes the ground and he should get better as he gets older,” Charlton said. “He won a novice at Salisbury by nine lengths and we always thought he was a nice horse. Then he was placed in the Greenham – which was not a bad effort for a big horse – and then I made an error of running him in the 2000 Guineas. The ground was too firm, running down into the Dip he faltered and I thought he’d broken down.
“We had him ready to run at Newbury, in the Spring Cup, and the ground’s been firm all year until about three weeks ago when he won at Haydock Park.”
If Cityscape is still – as a four-year-old – a work in progress then Charlton can see him coming to full fruition next season - “he’s a huge horse and he should keep improving” – but his chances to strike while the iron is hot and the ground is wet are running out. “I’ll have to look. There was another race here in two weeks’ time but I don’t think that would suit. There’s one race in France, the Prix Perth, and there’s a race in Italy.
"He was in the Cambridgeshire but we decided to come here instead,” Charlton said, adding with a smile, “I think it’s fair to say he would have won the Cambridgeshire."
Myplacelater looked better than ever as she stormed to a six-length victory in the Listed Aqlaam Godolphin Stakes to the delight of trainer David Elsworth, who half owns the filly with Tony Thompson. "It’s a fairytale job really because she only cost £600,” Elsworth said. “Although this is her fifth win, it’s her first bit of black type even though she had a rating of 110. I guess it’s been bad placing by the trainer. The Pride Stakes back here in a fortnight is a possibility for her.”
The inaugural running of the Standing For Success Silver Cambridgeshire was won the Michael Jarvis-trained Sarrsar, who came with a great late run for Frankie Dettori to land the spoils by a short-head from Lost In The Moment and Sand Skier, who dead-heated for second.
Kieren Fallon was out of luck on Sand Skier, who did not get a clear run, had no such hold ups when he made the dash across to Ireland. Fallon travelled to Dundalk to ride Gitano Hernando in the Group Three Diamond Stakes.
Gitano Hernando, trained by Marco Botti, was coming back after 188 days off the track and Fallon was at his best as he won by a cosy neck. The victory qualifies Gitano Hernando for the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Churchill Downs next month, under the “win and you’re in” scheme but Botti said that the owners, the American-based Team Valor – had yet to make a final decision between that or the Champion Stakes at Newmarket next month.
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