Pretty Crystal sprung a shock in the Nell Gwyn Stakes to defeat 1000 Guineas contender Dance Sequence; elsewhere on the card, Jayarebe put away some better fancied rivals in the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket
Wednesday 17 April 2024 16:26, UK
Pretty Crystal held off the late surge of hot favourite Dance Sequence in the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket.
Viewed as the first 1000 Guineas trial of the spring, Charlie Appleby's previously unbeaten Dance Sequence was 10-11 favourite to enhance her Classic claims.
William Buick was briefly short of room on the Godolphin filly and it was just then that Oisin Orr on Pretty Crystal made his decision to set off in pursuit of Brian Meehan's Kathmandu, who had made a bold bid for home.
As Kathmandu's stride began to shorten, it was Richard Fahey's Pretty Crystal who looked the likely winner but Dance Sequence, once in the clear, began to make ground.
The favourite began to roll around upon meeting the rising ground, though, making life difficult for Buick, and that enabled Pretty Crystal (18-1) to come out on top by a neck.
Jayarebe ran out a most impressive winner of the bet365 Feilden Stakes at Newmarket for Meehan and Sean Levey.
Only seen twice last season, he won on his debut on the July course and was then stepped markedly up in class for the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp on Arc weekend.
Only seventh behind Richard Hannon's Rosallion there, he took a major leap forward on this occasion. Never far from the firing line, Levey kicked for home heading into the dip and having hit the front, he soon put daylight between himself and his rivals.
Aidan O'Brien's Gasper De Lemos briefly looked a threat before fading, while Andre Fabre's Narkez never looked like playing a part in the finish.
"The owner is away and back next week, so I'll go and meet him and see what we're going to do," said Meehan. "He's possibly a French Derby type, but he's also a horse that might benefit for a bit more of a subtle touch for a while.
"The mile and a quarter race at Ascot would be a race to consider and there is a whole summer ahead of us and there's plenty of time."
Charlie Appleby's Ottoman Fleet landed the bet365 Earl Of Sefton Stakes for the second successive year at Newmarket.
The five-year-old was race-fit, having had three runs at Meydan in Dubai, and having won this race 12 months ago, had been racing with credit at a high level in America.
A consistent performer, he falls just short of the top class but in Group Three company, he is a force to be reckoned with.
Having travelled smoothly into contention two furlongs from home for William Buick, he soon took two lengths out of the field and the race was over in a matter of strides.
While he began to get tired late on and Astro King, the Cambridgeshire winner, closed to within a length, the 7-4 favourite was never in any danger.
