Master of the Stars reverses Good Birthday at Newmarket
Jocket Cieren Fallon rides Oxted to victory in the July Cup at Newmarket Racecourse, in Suffolk on July 11, 2020.
It happens to the best of us, but when interference occurs, there is little Stewards can do other than what seems fair.
Master of the Stars (Mark Crehan 7-1), received just rewards after Good Birthday (Silvestre de Souza 3-1), was demoted during a lengthy inquiry.
Only a chin separated these two warriors as they bobbed away for half-a-furlong. Good Birthday visibly knocked Master of the Stars at least four times, which was intimidating.
Silvestre was naturally suspended for a couple of days, although Good Birthday was not that easy to straighten. End Result (John Eagan 9-2), and Dashing Roger (Marco Ghiani 16-1), both looked like they were hanging sideways.
Tenbury Wells (Martin Harley 13-2), trailed in last, even though expectations were rife for him. Clocking 2:05:7/10 for 1.2 miles, Master of the Stars is not yet his Derby father's son, See the Stars.
In the other Newmarket Betfair Mile Novice Stakes, Enable's brother, Derab (Martin Harley 10-11), mastered 6.5 lengths clearance from Fireworks, which sets him in a nice position for the Cazoo Epsom Derby.
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Best Gold Cup trial staged on Irish soil, annually, is the Saval Beg Stakes. Emperor of the Sun (Gavin Ryan 18-1), trained by Donnacha O'Brien, obliged in the 1.6 mile Listed race by 2.5 lengths from Search for a Song (Oisin James 4-1).
This was a test of stamina for the Gold Cup. Amhran na Bhfiann (Seamie Heffernan 5-4), could only handle fourth behind Melbourne Cup winner, Twilight Payment (Declan McDonough 11-4).
Springback (G. Halpin 50-1), never got involved, detaching himself to last. 2:04:8/10 was not a bid hit for the Emperor.
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A half-hour after Last Judgment gave him his first victory in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special, conditioner, Michael Maker, was standing in Pimlico's winner's circle alongside Army Wife (Joel Rosario 2-5), following the Declaration of War filly's off-the-pace trumpet in Friday's 97th running of the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.
It highlighted a 14-race card that kicked off Preakness weekend, re-named to honour the legacy of George E. Mitchell, a community organizer in the Park Heights neighbourhood surrounding Pimlico.
He died in 2020, but kept the Preakness alive at Baltimore. Army Wife set Willful Woman and Lady Traveler thinking in place berths. The coverage of 1.1/8 miles clocked 1:49:6/10.
