All-Weather Mile Championships: Oisin Murphy bags treble with Berkshire Shadow in Mile
Berkshire Shadow joined Notre Belle Bete and Desert Cop in bringing up an All-Weather Finals Day treble for the multiple champion jockey; Hollie Doyle also enjoyed victory in the Marathon with Rainbow Dreamer
Friday 7 April 2023 17:42, UK
Berkshire Shadow brought up an All-Weather Championships Finals Day treble for Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy when claiming the All-Weather Mile Championships.
A winner of the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot as a two-year-old, the 7-4 favourite ran some encouraging races over this trip early in his three-year-old season, finishing fifth in the 2000 Guineas before being beaten less than two lengths in the St James's Palace Stakes on his return to the Royal meeting.
Although his form tailed off as the summer went on last year, he was gelded over the winter and the son of Dark Angel landed the Lady Wulfruna Stakes on his reappearance at Wolverhampton last month to book his ticket to Gosforth Park.
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Sent off the 7-4 favourite in the north east, Murphy was content to stalk the pace set by The Wizard Of Eye and Lord Of The Lodge and, as The Wizard Of Eye's brave front-running effort began to wane inside the final furlong, Berkshire Shadow was just getting motoring and he hit the front half a furlong from home before keeping on powerfully.
Balding was represented by his wife Anna Lisa, who said: "That was brilliant, that was the one we wanted today, I'm delighted.
"He's a special horse to us and Paul (Spickett, owner) has been very patient with him since he won the Coventry as he'd run well without winning.
"I know he won on his comeback early in the year but that was his target today."
Desert Cop blitzed the opposition to win the talkSPORT All-Weather 3 Year Old Championships Conditions Stakes in fine style at Newcastle.
Murphy aboard the 11-1 winner was always travelling smoothly tracking the pace, and having gone for home approaching the one-furlong pole, the race was soon over as a contest - with the Jeff Smith-owned colt scorching clear of the running-on favourite Shouldvebeenaring.
Hollie Doyle got on the scoresheet at Newcastle as she guided Rainbow Dreamer to victory in the BetUK All-Weather Marathon Championships Conditions Stakes.
Alan King's 10-year-old has been an ever-present in long-distance events on the synthetics and he was notching up his 13th career success and sixth with Doyle in the saddle.
Anchored towards the rear as Withhold and defending champion Earlofthecotswolds set a blistering pace, Doyle was able to slowly ease her mount into the contest and the Barbury Castle veteran was able to come into his own in the closing stages as he pulled out extra to hold off Olly Murphy's Fleurman.
Queen Aminatu flew home to land a hat-trick in the talkSPORT All-Weather Fillies' And Mares' Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle.
William Haggas' daughter of Muhaarar is unbeaten since being switched back to the all-weather and having struck at both Lingfield and Deauville at the back end of 2022, she continued her love affair with the synthetics in this £150,000 contest at Gosforth Park.
Held up off the steady pace by Cieren Fallon, the Anthony Oppenheimer-owned four-year-old looked like she could struggle to find a run as the race began to develop.
But she turned on the afterburners once she found some daylight and showed a devastating turn of foot to run down Rae Guest's Aramis Girl and the 11-10 favourite Manaafith inside the final furlong.
