Double Up With Impressive Performances
Saturday all revolved around the superstar that is Enable, one of racing’s greatest performers. Whilst everyone was rightly lauding over yet another top performance, there was a pair of winners for Hambleton Lodge who themselves had done their winning in impressive fashion. Two distinctly differing moments in their racing careers as Dandy’s Beano was picking up her third win of the season whilst Abstemious was just beginning his and getting off the mark at the second attempt.
Having utilised a drop in her handicap mark back in May, Dandy’s Beano has been in a rich vein of form. Gaining her first win since 2017 the 4yr old has now gone on to make a real name for herself on the Tapeta surface at Newcastle. After winning there last month she repeated the dominating victory with a carbon copy performance to take the 5f Collingwood Taxi Insurance Fillies Handicap.
Any ease in the ground seems to have really helped Beano find her feet once again and get back into the winners’ enclosure. As the summer sun got stronger the ground obviously baked and faster and faster conditions were the only ones on offer. Thankfully the Tapeta surface reacts differently and slows down with the heat. This made it a clear options for Beano who capitalised when running away with a 0-75 handicap at the end of June.
Having tried Chelmsford, which she didn’t really handle, the obvious plan was to head back north and it wasn’t long before the perfect race came along. The 0-80 fillies only handicap was ideal but unfortunately it only attracted 4 declarations. Despite the small field there was plenty of form to go on as two of the runners had finished behind Beano on her previous win whilst the other had formed tied in too. Having beaten two of her rivals comfortably it was clear that the punters would strongly favour Kevin’s charge but with differences in weights etc, it was far from a foregone conclusion.
Kevin Stott has partnered the filly in all of her wins so it was no surprise to see him in the saddle once more. Having shown an uncomplicated winning style this season and with a small field to contend with, tactics were seemingly straightforward. Jumping smartly, Dandy’s Beano was quick into stride and immediately set about leading the race. Early on it was quite a sharp pace but with the hood on once again, she settled nicely into a rhythm. Her rivals filtered in behind to form a diamond formation.
The small field meant that there was very little change throughout the first half of the race, the four runners remained in the same formation throughout. Beano was ensuring a strong pace and it would prove the correct play once she got to the business end. The two rivals, Oriental Lilly and Marietta Robusti, who had given chase from the off began to make their efforts heading past the 2f marker. For a few moments they closed the gap on the leader and quickened up to look threatening. Kevin didn’t panic and remained motionless on board Beano, oozing confidence in his filly.
Having seen the gap close now everyone was going to see the race put to bed. With a length advantage Kevin asked his mount to quicken up as they bared down on the final furlong. Beano kicked in the turbo boost and immediately put daylight between herself and her rivals. Having closed the gap her two pursuers had already used their fishing push and couldn’t match the chestnut who just burst clear. That move sealed the deal and Kevin just had to nudge Beano out hands and heels. Stretching clear all the way to the line, Dandy’s Beano picked up her third win of the season by an impressive 3 1/4 lengths.
The 4yr old has really thrived this season and a couple of factors have seen Beano pick up some good wins. The fitting of the hood has really allowed her to settle in her races and now she travels like the ultimate professional. She was able to dictate from the front without ever too much and this saw her quicken up smartly. Now she has shown a real liking for the Tapeta and seems to enjoy a little give in the ground. This really sets up a nice second half of the season. Everybody knows that when fillies hit form they can really improve so it will be very interesting to see what Dandy’s Beano can do for the rest of the year. She will be up to a career high mark now but with performances like this, Hambleton Racing and all involved will surely have some more fun in 2019 with the 4yr old.
All punters make the connection between Kevin and 2yr old races at York. Obviously he does like to unveil a nice one there but with it being a high class track you need a good one to be competitive. Abstemious made a very eye catching debut at the track but was even more impressive when running away with the 6f Skybet Britain’s Most Popular Online Bookermaker Novice Median Auction Stakes, once again at York.
Copgrove Stud has long been the breeding operation for Mr Guy Reed and Abstemious came through the stud. Strong and powerful looking colt by Mukhadram, Abstemious ticked all the boxes when he he began his work but with such a powerful frame it was obvious that he couldn’t be rushed. That approach was correct play and as he came to hand in the summer, Abstemious was getting more impressive in his home work.
Ready to run and showing all the right signs, Kevin decided that York would be a good starting point. Showing blistering speed, Abstemious was still hard on the bridle with 1 1/2f to run. Once asked it was only experience that caught him out and he was collared late on by the odds on favourite, Oh Purple Reign. It was a very eye catching performance and even more so when you look through the winners form. Abstemious had only gone down by a length on debut to an experienced rival, so a win seemed to be on the cards sooner rather than later.
All horses are different in how they take their races but when Abstemious came out of his debut bouncing, Kevin had no problem going back to York just 14 days later. This time around he would be the horse bringing the best form although recent weather meant the he would be tackling far different conditions. Six runners were declared for the 6f contest and although it was a York Novice, there was strong confidence that Abstemious could get off the mark on all known form.
Jamie Spencer had been in the saddle on debut and was again partnering the colt. Keeping it simple was the order of the day and Jamie did just that from the off. Jumping smartly Abstemious quickly took control of the race and headed to the front. Jamie was just a passenger early on and let the colt get into stride and go on. Through the first furlong the pair had opened up a couple of lengths advantage. The others looked happy to let the favourite carry on on his merry way and that is exactly what he did.
There is very little to report from the race as it turned into a procession. As the rain hammered down, Abstemious seemed to have no issue with ground at all and after 2f he was 4/5 lengths clear. Striding out and moving beautifully, Abstemious travelled like it was a piece of work and Jamie never had to do anything to get the best out of his mount. It was only between the 3f and 2f marker that his rivals made an impression, halving the lead back to just around 2 lengths. If anyone thought this was because the leader had gone too hard and was in trouble they were sorely mistaken. With 1 1/2f to run Jamie gave Abstemious the slightest nudge to stretch clear. The colt effortlessly pulled away once again and extended his lead back up to 5 lengths. It was the easiest ride Jamie will have all year as the Abstemious moved away like it was a routine canter on the gallops.
People will always question how good the form is but the performance should be taken on how easy Abstemious made it look. Travelling with supreme ease he quickened up and never looked to get out of second gear. The ground did not seem to be a problem and if you look at it alongside his debut run then it just shows how much promise Abstemious has shown. He has always been held in high regard which was suggested by his entry in the Gr2 Gimcrack Stakes. It looks as though he will go that route now. That will be a big step up in class but anyone who saw this performance would no doubt be under the same impression that we may well have seen a serious colt.