George Boughey expects Chic Colombine to go onto bigger and better things after coming from the clouds to complete her hat-trick in the British Stallion Studs EBF “Carrie Red” Fillies’ Nursery at Doncaster.
Having made it third time lucky at Newcastle at the end of June, the Highclere-owned filly bolted up on her handicap debut at Haydock last week, prompting connections to send her back into battle just seven days later under a 5lb penalty on the opening afternoon of the St Leger Festival.
Supporters of the 9-4 favourite will have been sweating at the halfway stage, with Chic Colombine still well back in the field, but she surged home under a typically well-judged ride from William Buick to get up and beat Heritage House by half a length.
“She bounced out of her run the other day and I actually thought the run would bring her on. The ground was a question mark and dropping back in trip, but she’s done it well,” said Boughey.
“She’s a filly who doesn’t do a stroke at home when you work her from the front, but when you work her in behind she’s a much better filly, as we saw there.
“I think there’s a little bit more to come. I don’t know where we’ll go next, I didn’t really think we’d come here after Haydock but she came out of the race so well.
“She’s a filly with a three-year-old’s pedigree and we’ll just bide our time, but it would be great to pick up a bit of black type with her later in the year.”
Rathbone supplemented a recent Sandown success in the opening Meriel Tufnell Apprentice Handicap.
Michael Herrington’s speedster was a 10-1 shot in the hands of Connor Planas and displayed a willing attitude when challenged by Jump The Gun to see him off by a neck.
Herrington said: “He was a good horse for Kevin Ryan before we got him and maybe we’ve been a bit soft on him at home – my wife rides him every day and he’s probably only just got to full fitness.
“He’s just a happy horse at the moment and fresh and well. We might take him to Ayr next weekend for the Silver Cup if he gets in.”
Maximilian Caesar (9-1) toughed out victory in the 10-furlong Hippo Bamboo Wipes Handicap.
Marco Botti’s consistent gelding was strongly pressed by the Ryan Moore-ridden Westerton throughout the final furlong, but gritted his teeth to hold on by a neck in the hands of Stefano Cherchi.
“He’s a horse that we know loves this ground and has won on it before, so we came here with a very good chance,” said the winning rider.
“If you saw him work in the morning you’d think he was a 65-rated horse, but he’s a clever boy who puts his best foot forward at the races and you couldn’t ask for a better attitude.
“He’s been out of the frame once from all of his starts (on turf) and that was on quick ground. He’s a very fun horse to ride.”
The Mick Appleby-trained In The Breeze (15-2) swooped late to secure top honours in the Winners Wear Skopes Menswear Handicap under Tom Marquand, who said: “It was a very good performance, Mick has got him worked out and those early stages help him a lot.
“When he won at Haydock last time we employed similar tactics and just rode him cold and work him through when he’s ready.
“It worked out again today and he’s a horse that’s thriving.”
Clive Cox may have been out of luck with Dragon Leader in the valuable two-year-old race earlier on the card, but struck a decisive blow in the concluding Chique Boutique Doncaster Specialists In Racewear Nursery Handicap thanks to Double Jump (11-1).
“He was very good,” said Cox. “He’s out of a Camacho mare (Beldale Melody) that we were lucky to win the Marygate with at York and he’s clearly just better going a little bit further than his mum, but he loved the ground.”
