Fireback blazes at Newmarket
Money, or the lack of it, is a major topic in racing and it played a part in the decision of Andrew Balding to run Fireback in the totesport.com Handicap at Newmarket.
Fireback had run well over a mile in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot last month but a £100,000 race was enough of an inducement for Balding to drop the gelding to six furlongs. And Fireback put his mile stamina to good use as he responded to jockey David Probert as the pair beat Bagamoyo by three-quarters of a length.
“He ran well in the Britannia last time – only beaten five lengths,” Probert said. “We thought six could be a bit sharp but, fair play, he’s travelled very well and he’s finished real smart.”
Fireback was only Balding’s third winner in the last fortnight and he admitted: “It’s difficult to get winners Royal Ascot week and we just went through a patch where we weren’t having as many winners as we would have liked.”
“Nick Robinson, who runs Kennett Valley [the owners], and I discussed it and it was a choice here of seven back at Ascot on Saturday. We thought if we got in here the prize money is so good we’d have to give it a go – and I’m very relieved it worked out.”
Roger Charlton saddled his eighth winner in the last 14 days when Folly Bridge won the Champagne Lanson EBF Fillies’ Handicap. The early theories on which strip of ground in the home straight was best suggested that a centre-stalls draw might be an advantage but Steve Drowne had the advantage of a trouble-free rails run from stall one.
Strictly Dancing had led the field into the final quarter-mile but then edged right as she was challenged by Alice Alleyne, but it was Folly Bridge who kept straightest to hold the resurgent Strictly Dancing by a neck with Alice Alleyne beating Sweet Clementine for third.
The step up to seven furlongs was no problem for Folly Bridge who had run over the distance the last time the Drowne had ridden her at Salisbury last September when she finished third. "It looked like she didn’t get seven furlongs last year, but it really suited her today,” Charlton said. “They didn’t go very fast and quickened from the front, and it looked she wasn’t really going to get there, but she stayed on very well. She probably had a good draw, if you get a run.
“She ran very well at Nottingham and not so well at Newmarket last time, when the ground was very loose,” he added. “I’ve no idea where she goes. She’s rated 87 now and she’ll go up a few pounds. I’ll have to see if there’s a Listed handicap somewhere, but I’m not sure there is one,” said Charlton.
“She’s a game filly, they didn’t go that much of a gallop, any horses in the van were in the right positions,” Drowne said. Sitting in the saddle of a Charlton-trained horse looks the right position at present “He’s doing much the same as he’s ever done. The horses are just fit and healthy and everything’s right. Touch wood, long may it continue.”
Cotton Mill, who had finished a well-beaten eighth on his only previous run, on the Rowley Mile back in May, belied his 66-1 odds to take the Three Chimneys Maiden Stakes.
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