Azleet earned herself a tilt at the Betfred 1000 Guineas with a shock victory in the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes.
The Stuart Williams-trained three-year-old won twice from seven juvenile starts last season but having come up short when previously tested at Listed and Group-race level, she was a widely unconsidered 50-1 shot for her reappearance in this leading trial for the first fillies’ Classic of the year.
Settled at the rear of the 12-strong field by Marco Ghiani during the early part of the seven-furlong contest, Azleet started to make her move inside the last three furlongs and really found her stride once hitting the rising ground.
She settled down to fight it out with America Queen in the final half-furlong and finished off best to prevail by a neck, with Act Of Kindness a length and a half further behind in third.
Williams said: “We’ll go there and roll the dice in the 1000 Guineas and it’s going to be a special time for me to have a Group One runner in a race at Newmarket. We came here to see if we were good enough to take up the entry and we got our answer.
“She had a lot to find today on figures, but the last race she ran in last year she missed the break by four lengths and then had a terrible run through the race. She got no run at all, finished strongly and didn’t get beat too far by Spicy Marg who is quite a good filly.
“Marco has given her a brilliant ride today and settled her in at the back. She got a little keen at halfway, but has come home strong. She’s a high-class filly and has won a Group Three, so why not have a go at the Guineas?
“It’s really difficult for a yard of our size and spending power to find horses like this. We’ve been lucky and we get one every couple of years, but we have two at the moment – this filly and Quinault – and it’s exciting.”
He added: “I pride myself on doing the best I can with any horse I get and if there’s a race to be won, we’ll win it. But to be here on the days like this, we don’t get chance to train these types often and to have a chance now to have a go at winning one of our big races on home soil is brilliant.”
While Azleet will return to the Rowley Mile, the Richard Hughes-trained runner-up America Queen – second in the Lowther and fourth in the Cheveley Park Stakes last season – will wait an extra week and head to France for her shot at Classic glory at ParisLongchamp.
Azleet defeated America Queen (left) by a neck
“She did it the hard way and the winner sat last while we were out in front into a headwind. There was no hiding place and I think she stayed the seven furlongs well there, because she did battle back and was up in the van all the way,” said Hughes.
“She’ll go for the French Guineas and if they go slow like they usually do and she can get a good draw, I would love to roll the dice there.
“She’s run a blinder and she’s a pleasure to train. She’s nothing flash, but tries like hell and you can’t ask for anything else.”
Charlie Appleby could target a Listed prize at York with Act Of Kindness, who he feels could excel later in the season.
He said: “I was very pleased with her and having been reminded I hadn’t put her in the Guineas coming here, I’ve walked away knowing why I didn’t.
“She’s a nice filly but not a Guineas filly and that has all come a bit soon for her.
“She might step up to a mile now and will definitely come forward for it and she had only literally come to hand the last couple of weeks.
“Something like the Michael Seely at York might suit her. I like her and I think if we look after her she will be a nice filly in the second half of the season.”
Damysus impresses in Sefton stroll
Damysus looks set to make his mark at the highest level this season judged on a dominant comeback success in the Betway Earl of Sefton Stakes.
While the Derby at Epsom proved a bridge too far for the son of Frankel last summer, subsequent wins at Listed level in France and in the Group Three Darley Stakes over the Earl of Sefton course and distance proved he is a colt of major potential.
Carrying a 3lb penalty for the latter of those wins six months ago, Damysus was the 7-4 favourite for the father-son training partnership of John and Thady Gosden and after taking over from Cambridgeshire winner Boiling Point racing out of the dip, he quickly went through the gears to seal the deal in a few strides.
Damysus blew away his rivals at Newmarket
In the end he only had to be pushed out hands and heels by James Doyle to secure victory by three and three-quarter lengths with another Wathnan Racing-owned runner, Harry Charlton’s King’s Gambit, staying on best of the rest to grab second.
John Gosden said: “I think he will be better this year and he’s not a big horse, but he’s more powerful now and when James asked him to go the acceleration was instant.
“He’s more mature as a four-year-old and anything from a mile to a mile and a quarter is what James feels will be right for him.
“He won a Group Three last year and has won another here, so we could see what he does now in a Group Two and then have a look at the Group Ones.”
While Damysus’ odds for next month’s Lockinge Stakes at Newbury were widely cut, Gosden suggested his charge is more likely to return to the highest level over a longer trip, teeing up a potential clash with esteemed stablemate Ombudsman at Royal Ascot in June.
“I wouldn’t be frightened at looking at a Prix d’Ispahan, a race like that would not be out of the question at all, and that would lead into Ascot where you could be looking at the Prince of Wales’s Stakes,” the Clarehaven handler added.
“He ran in the Derby last year which was a bit of a calamity of a day for us – he kicked the back of the gate, got very upset, got a cut and was out for two months afterwards. He’s been great since, he’s come back well from his winter quarters and there’s plenty of opportunities for him.
“He might wind up running against Ombudsman if they both get to the Prince of Wales’s and I would not be surprised to see Damysus in that race.
“I think an easier mile and a quarter rather than the stiff mile and a quarter of Ascot is what this horse will really enjoy, but we’ll have to see. I wouldn’t want to be running them against each other really unless it was Royal Ascot.”
Morshdi sets up trip to Chester with Feilden strike
Morshdi announced himself as a Derby contender with victory in the Betway Feilden Stakes.
Making his first appearance since breaking his duck at the second attempt at at York in October, the William Haggas-trained three-year-old was seemingly not that well fancied as a 14-1 shot but was always travelling strongly in the hands of Tom Marquand.
Having raced keenly early on, the well backed 9-5 favourite Poseidon’s Warrior came from further back to mount his challenge, but Morshdi was always doing enough racing up the hill to hold the market leader at bay by a length.
“He’s a lovely little horse and has always been a bonny horse,” said Haggas.
Morshdi sprung a 14-1 surprise at Newmarket
“I’m surprised he’s won today as we can’t have a winner at the moment, but that was very nice and Tom felt it was the nice distance (nine furlongs).
“Tom waited as he said the wind was terrible. When he was in behind he was getting buffeted about so he sat alongside James Doyle (riding third placed
Bourbon Blues) for a bit to keep out of the wind and then went. “
Morshdi was cut to 25-1 from 50-1 by some firms for the Betfred Derby and Haggas is eyeing a stop-off at Chester en-route to a possible appearance in the premier Classic at Epsom on June 6.
He added: “I don’t know how much more he has to offer but he’s a lovely horse and all year I have been saying Chester – he will love it round there.
“He’s now got a penalty which is the only downside to that, but the Dee Stakes was always the race I had in mind, he’s tailor-made for a place like that.
“Coming into this year I think we have some nice three-year-olds and this is the first one we’ve run of the better group. I don’t know where this lad fits amongst them, I suppose he’s number one at the moment until the others prove themselves, but it’s helpful he has won and he was good today.”
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