Gunmetal fires at Newmarket

A review of Wednesday's action from Newmarket as Gunfire was a decisive winner in the opener.

Gunmetal was a decisive winner of the Weatherbys General Stud Book Online Handicap at Newmarket.

Down the field on his seasonal reappearance at Doncaster earlier in the month, the Charlie Hills-trained grey was a 9-2 chance for his latest assignment and was always handily placed in the hands of Andrea Atzeni.

The four-year-old quickened up smartly racing out of the dip and passed the post a comfortable two and three-quarter lengths clear of 7-2 favourite Normandy Barriere, with Moonraker best of the rest in third.

Hills said: "It wasn't great draw last time (at Doncaster) and he probably got a bit tired as well. He got his way a bit today, but he has won pretty well.

"I think he has got a bit quicker with the more racing he has done. We will probably stick to six with him.

"He probably needs to win again to get in a race like that (Wokingham), but he is going the right way.

"He is a stronger horse this year and I am hoping he can finish off his races a bit better."

Whitecliffsofdover led his rivals a merry dance in the bet365 European Free Handicap.

Aidan O'Brien's colt showed smart form as a juvenile, most notably finishing third in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Chantilly on his most recent outing in October.

Fitted with a tongue-tie for the first time, the War Front colt was soon in front under Ryan Moore and had his rivals on the stretch from well over a furlong out.

The hooded Seven Heavens and Rodaini, who wore a visor, attempted to bridge the gap, but 100-30 chance Whitecliffsofdover galloped all the way to the line and came home with two and three-quarter lengths in hand.

Rodaini narrowly beat 5-2 favourite Seven Heavens to the runner-up spot.

Moore said: "He's a lovely, big horse. He ran some good races last year. "He's a fine, beautiful horse and I'd say he'd go on from here."

Co-owner Michael Tabor said: "He was very impressive. He ran from the start very forward and hopefully he can now go on to better things.

"I would suppose now, with that run under him, he'd go for either the French or the English Guineas, one of those two races."

Whitecliffsofdover is not currently entered in the Qipco 2000 Guineas but could be added to the field at the supplementary stage on May 1.

O'Brien's UK representative, Kevin Buckley, said: "Ryan (Moore) said he was going to be positive. It was ideal ground as he is a son of War Front and he appreciated that and it is not the first time he has been to Newmarket.

"Ryan was very positive with his comments. He is not in the Guineas here. We will get him home and Aidan will have to discuss with the owners to see what they want to do next.

"I know that was over seven, but I don't envisage going back to up to a mile will be a problem.

"He is in the French Guineas but I am not saying he is going there. It was a nice way to start the season back here at Headquarters."

Bruce Raymond, racing manager to Rodaini's owner Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah, said: "He ran well and we are very happy with the run today. He stayed on really well and I think he will be better for a mile on a more level track.

"I think he was pretty fit today, we just feel at a mile he will be better."

John Gosden, trainer of third-placed Seven Heavens, said: "We will probably drop him back trip to six and go for the Pavilion Stakes at Ascot in two weeks' time.

"He didn't seem to see out the seven furlongs."

Steel Of Madrid caused a minor upset when getting up late to land the bet365 Earl Of Sefton Stakes.

Richard Hannon's charge won the Fairway Stakes at this venue last May, but had subsequently struggled to make a significant impact, albeit in good company.

Making his first competitive start since October in this nine-furlong Group Three, Steel Of Madrid was a 10-1 shot and jockey Pat Dobbs cut a confident figure in the saddle throughout.

Folkswood, the 5-2 favourite after finishing a close second in a Group One in Dubai last month, set out to make all.

However, while the Godolphin runner stuck to his task well, Steel Of Madrid eventually wore him down, winning the argument by half a length.

Dobbs said: "We tried him over a mile and a half a few times last year. He travelled well in his races but it looked like he didn't get home. It was a good idea by the boss to drop him back in trip.

"He's matured a lot over the winter and strengthened up."

Hannon said: "We played around with his trip last year. I think he gets a mile and a half but a lot of his best form has been over this trip so we thought first run of the year, we'd let him have a go over this track and he'd won here last year.

"I thought Dobbsy gave him a super ride.

"He's been doing a lot of work with the Guineas horses. When they go up that sand gallop at Everleigh, they are doing a bit more than you think.

"This horse looks well and has been moving great."

Formidable Kitt made a winning debut in the bet365 EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

Tom Dascombe's two-year-old was the 11-8 favourite in a field of eight unraced juveniles and was always well to the fore.

Take Shelter proved a worthy adversary inside the last of five furlongs, but Formidable Kitt was always doing enough to hold her at bay by half a length.

Take Shelter's trainer, James Tate, also saddled the third home Ziarah.

Dascombe said: "She's behaved herself and she's done well.

"That's got us off to a good start, so we're very happy.

"She jumped professionally, went well under him (Richard Kingscote), travelled away, quickened up when she had to and did enough.

"We've got to hope she'll turn into a Queen Mary filly like her mother (Ceiling Kitty). She's done everything right at home, she was well backed today and she will come on a lot I'm sure.

"You'd go for the Marygate (at York) next and worry about Ascot after that."

Formidable Kitt was given a quote of 12-1 with Paddy Power for the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot while Betfair went 14-1.

John Gosden and Frankie Dettori doubled up for the afternoon with Dancing Breeze in the bet365 EBF Stallions Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

The daughter of New Approach travelled strongly down the middle of the track and she and Natavia settled down to fight it out after opening up a healthy gap on the rest of the field.

The pair fought tooth and nail in the closing stages and it was 15-2 chance Dancing Breeze who saw off 4-1 favourite Natavia by half a length.

Crimson Rosette was a clear third.

John Gosden ended the card with a treble as Middle Kingdom (7-2 joint-favourite) landed the concluding bet365 Handicap in the hands of Jimmy Fortune.

The trainer said: "He is a nice horse and we are very happy with that. He is progressive. We will see where we go from here. There are no decisions yet."