Haydock report: Alpinista hits the heights in Lancashire Oaks

Alpinista stamped her class on the bet365 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

Sir Mark Prescott’s filly set the standard on her runner-up finish behind the brilliant Love in the Yorkshire Oaks last summer, after which she was narrowly beaten in a Group Three at Newmarket.

She got the current campaign off to a successful start in a Listed event at Goodwood in April – and having missed a couple of intended engagements since, she was the 11-4 favourite for the Group Two feature.

With front-running Oaks runner-up Mystery Angel beginning to fade inside the final two furlongs, the Roger Varian-trained pair of Cabeletta and Lady Hayes were left fighting it out for the lead.

However, Alpinista picked up well in the hands of her regular partner Luke Morris to win the day by just over a length.

Morris said: “We’d chosen not to run her a couple of times because of the ground. Today they’ve rolled the dice and she seems to handle firm ground as well as soft ground.

“She was second to Love in the Yorkshire Oaks last year and she’s a Group Two winner now.

“These are the horses you want to ride when you’re getting up early in a morning and getting home late in the evening.”

Prescott’s assistant, William Butler, said: “She’s very game and we’ve trained lots of her family, who were very game as well.

“We were slightly worried about the ground as she was so effective on firm last summer, but her class got her through.

“She’s a Group Two winner, Group One second and dual Listed winner and you can pick your targets now. There are races like the Lillie Langtry (at Goodwood) and the Yorkshire Oaks and we’ll make a plan.”

Alounak bounced back to form to claim an impressive victory in the bet365 Old Newton Cup.

A Group Three winner in Germany and runner-up in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, Andrew Balding’s charge appeared dangerously well handicapped on the pick of his form.

However, he lined up for this prestigious handicap with plenty to prove, having never threatened to land a telling blow on either of his two previous outings this season at Ascot.

Sent off at 14-1 in the hands of three-times champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa, Alounak arrived on the scene travelling powerfully inside the final two furlongs before powering three lengths clear in the rain-softened ground.

Win O’Clock narrowly beat my Frankel to the runner-up spot.

“He’s done it very well out there,” said the winning rider. “He travelled really well throughout the race. I was confident when I went back through his form as I knew he would go on the soft ground.

“I don’t think he’s at his best in this ground, but he’d run some good races in the past and he’d come down in the handicap, so it was all suitable for him.”

Brian Ellison was delighted see Tashkhan claim a second win at Haydock this season with a decisive display in the £100,000 bet365 Handicap.

Bought privately from Irish trainer Emmet Mullins after winning at Navan in the spring, the three-year-old has already proved a shrewd purchase for his new connections.

A winner on Merseyside in May, the son of Born To Sea could only finish ninth in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, but looked far more comfortable back on rain-softened ground.

Ridden by 5lb claimer Harry Russell, the 16-5 chance moved moved pulled a length and a half clear of Summer’s Knight to leave his trainer considering an appearance at next month’s Ebor Festival at York.

Ellison said: “He loves that ground. We went to Ascot and we didn’t really want to run him, but decided to let him take his chance.

“He’s a proper horse. He won for Emmet Mullins off a mark in the 50s and we asked him if he was for sale and he said he was.

“I can see why he sold him because he shows absolutely nothing at home, but I love those type of horses that do it on the track. He’s in the John Smith’s Cup, but we’ll probably wait and look at the Melrose.

“I don’t think he’ll go anywhere unless there’s juice in the ground, though.”

Young Fire notched his third course and distance success in the Each Way Extra At bet365 Handicap.

The six-year-old had previously won back-to-back renewals of the same September handicap for trainer David O’Meara and returned with sound claims following successive placed efforts.

With morning rain turning conditions in his favour, 15-2 chance Young Fire finished with a flourish under a well-timed ride from Danny Tudhope to get up and beat Gifted Ruler by three-quarters of a length.

“That (soft) ground is a big plus for him – these are his conditions,” said the jockey. “He ran off 96 today, which is his last winning mark. He’s a fair horse on his day and has been running well this year without winning.

“He’s a tricky horse who needs things to fall right. He needs them to go quick, likes to come through horses and not get there too soon – I’m glad he’s gone and done it today.”