Sunday 28 March 2021 19:00, UK
Hollie Doyle's turf campaign got off to a winning start as she steered Outbox to a comfortable success in the Unibet Conditions Stakes at Doncaster.
The six-year-old moved to Archie Watson's Lambourn stable in December and scored for the first time for his new yard when taking an all-weather handicap contest at Wolverhampton in early March.
He followed that success up with another over the same mile-and-a-half trip on Town Moor, starting as 4-5 favourite and leading at a steady pace before quickening to record a length-and-a-quarter victory over Raymond Tusk.
"He had it easy (in front), but he still galloped away and he's done it nicely," Doyle said.
"It's a very a strong headwind, but when you've got it that easy you can step up and make the running.
"It's great to get a turf winner under the belt as it's always a frustrating time if you can't get that first win in.
"Our horses are absolutely flying and it's just great for the yard as well to get off to a good start.
"He's really grown in confidence and physically he's doing very well, he could be one to look forward to."
Tamborrada remains unbeaten after claiming his first race on turf, the 10-furlong Unibet Handicap.
Trained by Charlie Appleby, the Dubawi gelding has scored twice on the all-weather already this year and notched a hat-trick in running out victorious by a neck under James Doyle.
Starting as 10-11 favourite, the three-year-old was locked in a final-furlong battle with Mark Johnston's Annandale, also a twice winner, and eventually held off his challenger to triumph by a neck.
"We went a fairly even tempo and he just struggled to get his act together earlier on," Doyle said.
"Whether that was the slightly tightening ground, I'm not sure.
"I wasn't confident throughout and (Annandale) built into it nicely, as the Johnston horses do, they knuckle down well.
"We got into a bit of a scrap and he just edged ahead.
"He's still learning, he had a bit of a look at the signs and took his foot of the gas late on but I think there's plenty still to come from him."
Sidelined jockey Andrea Atzeni missed another winner as the Kevin Ryan-trained Throne Hall triumphed in the 32Red Casino Handicap for stand-in pilot Kevin Stott.
Atzeni was forced to self-isolate after a passenger on his return flight from Bahrain tested positive for Covid-19, leaving PJ McDonald to take his winning ride aboard Artistic Rifles in the Spring Mile on Saturday.
This time Stott was the beneficiary, steering four-year-old Throne Hall to a one-and-three-quarter-length success on his first run since being gelded.
"He's still a big, big baby," the jockey said.
"He's got a bit of growing to do, but he's a very nice horse.
"He's done well over the winter and he's got loads to do yet, but going forward he's something to look forward to."
A gelding operation seemed to make all of the difference for Tahitian Prince too, as he shed his maiden tag when taking the seven-furlong 32red.com Handicap at 14-1 for Richard Hannon and Sean Levey.
The four-year-old had run six times without a win, but cheekpieces seemed to have brought about some improvement when he was fourth last time out and he was game on this occasion to edge past 4-1 market leader Dirty Rascal and prevail by a neck.
"He's been hard work," Levey said of the horse.
"But he's come here with the cheekpieces on again, he's been very straight and he's done all the right things today.
"I think we can get a bit more out of him, hopefully."
The going was good at the South Yorkshire track, but conditions were still testing as runners had to battle against a stern 35mph wind that blew down the home straight.
"I thought I had it all sewn up coming into the two-furlong marker, but I couldn't believe how long it took me to get to the line," Levey said of the effects of the gust.
"I thought the matter was done, but he had to dig deep and move across the track a few times.
"It's hard in the last furlong, especially if you're going to be out there on your own."
George Peabody demonstrated his promise when taking division one of the Unibet Novice Stakes, building on the fourth-placed effort he produced when making his racecourse debut in an all-weather contest at Kempton in November.
The George Scott-trained gelding travelled in midfield under Callum Shepherd, shaking off the chasing pack with a furlong left to cover and crossing the line three and quarter lengths ahead of his nearest rival to prevail at 11-1.
Division two of the same race then provided Hannon with a double as the Rossa Ryan-ridden Soundslikethunder got the nod after the judge was called upon to split two Nightofthunder colts.
Running for the second time after finishing seventh on his debut last July, the three-year-old was level with stablemate Lexington Knight from the two-furlong pole onwards, with the latter just losing out when a photo finish deemed them to have crossed the line a short-head apart.
