Little Big Bear (evens favourite) beat Shouldvebeenaring and Bradsell to win Group Two Betfred Nifty Fifty Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock on Saturday for Aidan O'Brien and Frankie Dettori; winner cut to 6/4 favourite for Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot
Saturday 27 May 2023 16:20, UK
Little Big Bear proved his 2000 Guineas run to be all wrong with a comprehensive success in the Betfred Nifty Fifty Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock.
Champion juvenile last year on the back of his seven-length win in the Phoenix Stakes, his campaign was then curtailed by injury.
Aidan O'Brien opted to switch up to a mile for his seasonal bow, but nothing went right at Newmarket and he finished slightly lame in last place.
Just three weeks later, he was a different proposition dropped back to six furlongs on Merseyside, travelling sweetly throughout in the hands of Frankie Dettori, with Ryan Moore on Irish Guineas duty at the Curragh.
Hollie Doyle appeared to be going just as well on last year's Coventry winner Bradsell until a furlong and a half out, when Dettori made his race-winning move.
Richard Hannon's Shouldvebeenaring tried to make a race of it having cruised into contention, but he could never quite get close enough to put the evens favourite under pressure and he went down by a length and a quarter.
The winner is now 6/4 favourite from 9/2 with Betfair for the Commonwealth Cup at Ascot.
Dettori said: "Aidan got in touch with me 10 days ago and I said 'yeah, I would love to ride the horse', but I didn't know where I was going to be. Very kindly they held on for me, I was on the phone on Sunday and said 'listen, I'm going to Haydock'.
"He looked magnificent today. I guess they had to try the Guineas, it was too long [a mile] and it didn't work out, but he won in good style today.
"I always had the race covered, he quickened up well under hands and heels and it's a good confidence booster before the Commonwealth Cup.
"I don't know what the line-up will be, but he was champion two-year-old, he has big figures and has come back to his best today, so he'll be the favourite."
Dramatised came with a powerful late challenge to land Group Two honours in the Betfred Temple Stakes.
Last seen finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, Dramatised was sent off the 4/1 favourite for trainer Karl Burke and jockey William Buick.
The three-year-old was settled off the pace by Buick as both Live In The Dream and The Platinum Queen were eager to make their presence felt early.
However, Buick rode a perfect waiting race and when he gave Dramatised the signal, she quickly made strides up the near-side rail, collaring Live In The Dream inside the last of the five furlongs.
Equilateral, a 20/1 shot, did his best to challenge down the middle of the track, but Dramatised was just too good, prevailing by a length, with Live In The Dream keeping on for third ahead of Existent.
Covey (6/4 favourite) marked himself out as a horse to follow this term, after making a mockery of his opening handicap mark of 90 with a front-running success in the £100,000 Betfred Silver Bowl Handicap.
The three-year-old, who is trained by John and Thady Gosden, arrived here having won a pair of seven furlong minor races in impressive style in April and May and he took the step up to a mile in his stride here under Dettori, quickly setting the tempo up front.
Dettori soon upped the tempo in the home straight and Covey picked up impressively for a three-and-a-quarter length success, with the winning jockey hinting in the aftermath that an engagement at Royal Ascot could be on the cards next for Juddmonte's homebred son of Frankel.
Elsewhere on the card, it proved to be an opportune start to the afternoon for Hollie Doyle, who picked up a very useful spare ride when guiding the Hugo Palmer-trained Solent Gateway (5/1) to a pillar-to-post success in the Betfred TV Hell Nook Handicap over two miles.
Doyle controlled the pace from the outset and having quickened for home at the three-furlong pole, the son of Awtaad found admirably on the far side rail for a gallant three-quarters of a length success.
The opening race on the card was the Betfred Supports Jack Berry House Florida Handicap over a mile and a half, in which In The Breeze (9/2) provided a much welcomed winner for trainer Mick Appleby.
The East Midlands trainer had not saddled a winner for a considerable stretch by his own high standards, with his last success coming at Southwell on the April 14.
The five-year-old still had plenty to do approaching the final furlong, but he produced an excellent late burst of speed to get up within the shadow of the post.
