Skip to content

Glitter Girl sparkles at Doncaster

Glitter Girl ridden by Ryan Moore (centre, blue cap) wins the opener
Image: Glitter Girl ridden by Ryan Moore (centre, blue cap) wins the opener

The rest of the news from Doncaster, where Glitter Girl scored for favourite-backers in the opening nursery.

Glitter Girl is set to step up in class after defying top weight in courageous fashion to complete a hat-trick of victories in the British Stallion Studs 'Carrie Red' EBF Fillies' Nursery at Doncaster.

The Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket and Newbury's Radley Stakes are possible targets for the William Haggas-trained filly following her hard-fought win.

Glitter Girl (9/2 favourite) was not going best at halfway but knuckled down for Ryan Moore in a tough headwind and shrugged off the long-time leader Storm Cry by half a length. Fire Palace was another half-length away in third.

"She jumped well and because Ryan is such a good rider he accepted it and then he managed to get her behind Mark's (Johnston) filly (Storm Cry) and the race evolved from there," said Haggas.

"I didn't think she was that well-treated. I think she's definitely worth a shot at a stakes race. She's a first foal and is not a big filly, so we'll be kicking on this year.

"She's in the Rockfel, but I'm not sure about that, we'll see.

Latest Racing Stories

"The other fillies' race is the Radley Stakes at Newbury. It might be very soft by then, but I think she goes on soft. Maybe she wants seven furlongs."

First-time blinkers helped Central Square (6/1) bounce back to form after a 62-day absence with an encouraging victory in the crownhotel-bawtry.com Handicap.

Trainer Roger Varian felt headgear was needed after the four-year-old was beaten at York last time and was proved right as the Azamour gelding, ridden by Andrea Atzeni, fought off the 11/8 favourite Poet's Word by a length with Lusory third.

"We've always thought a lot of this horse. He's run well all year," said Varian.

"When he won at Ayr and when he was second in the Zetland, he didn't travel though the race as well as I'd have liked.

"We put the blinkers on today and he travelled better and got down to business when he had to. Andrea said he was always going to win in the last few furlongs.

"It was a good performance. The two horses he beat were progressive three-year-olds and the rest were a long way behind.

"He's starting to fulfil his potential. He's a genuine horse but just needs a bit of focus.

"He's a lovely big horse and can only get better with age."

He added: "My gut feeling is he's a 10-furlong horse and just needed a focus. Going a mile and a half at York didn't really work out.

"We'll see how he comes out of this. He's had an easy summer. Her hadn't run for a while and hopefully there's another race in him this year."

Frankie Dettori gave Glencadam Glory (7/2) a canny ride to get back up and win the DFS British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes.

Dettori had the John Gosden-trained colt smartly out of the stalls down the straight mile and grabbed the stands rail.

Once he had done that, Dettori was able to dictate the race, although it did look like the plan might not work out as he was marginally headed in the final furlong by Hydroxide, who had to come wide to make his challenge.

However, the son of Nathaniel found extra and regained the lead in the dying strides to score by a head from Hydroxide with The Anvil a head away third.

Gosden said: "The plan had been to take a lead, but he broke so well that Frankie was able to bring him over to the rail.

"Frankie did well to do that and then kept something up his sleeve. The horse did it well so we're thrilled with him.

"He's grown a lot this year and hasn't filled out his frame. He'll be much better having a nice winter off and then come back in the spring. That would do him the world of good.

"His father (Nathaniel) was beaten a nose in this race. I ran him twice and put him away. I think it would be wise to do the same with him."

Handsome Dude (25/1) enjoyed the open spaces of the Town Moor track to win for only the third time in 20 starts with an authoritative display in the Ladbrokes Handicap over six furlongs.

The David Barron-trained four-year-old ran his rivals into the ground as he blizted down the centre of the course under Graham Gibbons and got home by one and a half lengths from Intense Style, with Sakhee's Return third and Misterioso fourth.

Gibbons said: "That was a surprise. Things haven't fallen right for him, he's been in big fields and got crowded.

"Today, he's had loads of room and he loves to have plenty of space to himself.

"He'd lost his confidence a bit. We put blinkers back on and we've tried everything. There was no plan, it just worked for him today. Everything went right."

Around Sky