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Hugo Palmer has Classic hopes for Redcar winner

NEWMARKET, ENGLAND - APRIL 20: Hugo Palmer poses at Newmarket Racecourse on April 20, 2017 in Newmarket, England. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)
Image: Hugo Palmer has high hopes for Arbalet

Hugo Palmer is dreaming of a potential tilt at next season's 2000 Guineas with Arbalet after he confirmed previous promise with a runaway victory at Redcar.

The son of Dark Angel filled the runner-up spot on his first two starts at York and Yarmouth and he was the 8-11 favourite to make it third-time lucky in the first division of the Get The Sky Bet Advantage EBF Novice Stakes.

Punters who got involved at the cramped odds will have had few concerns as Arbalet readily pulled three and a half lengths clear of Barbarianatthegate in the hands of Josephine Gordon.

Palmer, who won last year's 2000 Guineas with Galileo Gold, is looking forward to testing his exciting colt in a higher grade later in the season.

"He's a big horse who is still quite raw and we've always felt he could develop into a very nice three-year-old," said the Newmarket-based trainer.

"We were a little bit gutted he didn't win either of his first two starts, to be honest, but he didn't do a lot wrong on either occasion.

"I think he's probably crying out for a mile and the dream is that he's a 2000 Guineas horse.

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"For a big, raw horse like him, he's had three fairly quick runs and I think we'll leave him alone now for quite some time.

"We could look at the Solario Stakes at Sandown (September 2), or we could wait for the Royal Lodge (September 30) or the Autumn Stakes (October 14) at Newmarket.

"It's a long way from Redcar to a 2000 Guineas, but he's won easily and Jack Hobbs went from winning at Wolverhampton to winning an Irish Derby, so it can be done."

Tight Lines (5-2 favourite) was similarly impressive in division two for trainer Mark Johnston and jockey Joe Fanning.

The youngster was fifth behind the useful Another Batt on her racecourse debut at Ayr a fortnight ago and showed the benefit of that experience with a three-and-three-quarter-length triumph.

Charlie Johnston, assistant to his father, said: "We're not going to get too carried away. It was the weaker of the two divisions and we would have been disappointed if she wasn't able to win.

"We've still got to be pleased with the manner in which she did it. She travelled well and picked up well.

"We won't look too far ahead. I think she'll go for a novice and try to defy a penalty."

Johnston and Fanning went on to complete a double with 11-2 chance Highly Sprung in the Sky Bet Go-Racing-In-Yorkshire Summer Festival Handicap.

Star apprentice Sammy Jo Bell steered Wilf Storey's 5-1 favourite Mr Sundowner to victory in the Racing UK Now Live On YouView 231 Handicap.

The Tim Easterby-trained Clear As A Bell was a 6-1 winner of the Watch Racing UK On BT TV Handicap under David Allan, before the evergreen 12-year-old Kiwi Bay (11-4) claimed a seventh course win in the Racing UK Now On Talktalk TV Classified Claiming Stakes for Michael Dods and apprentice Callum Rodriguez.

Alexandrakollontai caused a 16-1 upset in the Redcar Cricket Club Fillies' Handicap and the concluding Go Racing In Yorkshire Future Stars Apprentice Handicap went to Midnight Warrior (100-30 favourite) and Jamie Gormley.

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