Stay Alert keeps rivals on toes

There were four local winners on an action-packed afternoon of racing at Newbury Racecourse last Thursday.

They included East Ilsley-based trainer Hughie Morrison’s Stay Alert in the feature race, the Group 1 Greatwood British EBF Stakes.

It was the three-year-old’s second win in four starts – she was second in the Group 1 Haras De Bouquetot Fillies’ Trial Stakes at Newbury last month, behind the impressive Nashwa.

Josephine Gordon’s mount kicked on inside the final three furlongs to win by a length from Tom Marquand, who was aboard the pre-race favourite Golden Lyra.

Morrison looks set to enter Stay Alert in the prestigious St Leger Stakes at Doncaster in September.

There was a winner for Lambourn’s Joseph Tuite courtesy of King’s Castle in the day’s second race, the OCS Goodliffe Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Stakes.

The five-year-old, who was 10th last time out at Chelmsford, shocked his critics – and the bookmakers – to win by three lengths from Archie Watson’s Classy Dame.

Andrew Balding’s Constitution ran well to finish second in the RacingTV Novice Stakes, behind Charlie Appleby’s Mysterious Night.

Marquand was third aboard Kyeema, while Hungerford-based Clive Cox’s John Chard VC was fourth.

Fantasy Believer won the Carol Mulraney Memorial Handicap Stakes for Lambourn’s Ed Walker, ahead of Andrew Balding’s Flyin’ High.

Marquand, aboard Fantasy Believer, rode a patient race and passed Flyin’ High, who had led from the start, inside the final furlong to win by half a length.

Andrew Balding wasn’t to be denied in the next race, the KKA Studio Handicap Stakes. His horse, Nietzsche’s Star, won for the second successive time ahead of Kaasirr in second and Clive Cox’s Codify in third.

Newbury’s next racing takes place on June 21.