Sandown wrap: Pearl shines brightest in Coral Distaff

William Haggas will have to re-think his plans after Mystic Pearl spared herself a trip to the sales ring when springing a surprise success on her first venture at Listed level in the Coral Distaff.

Entering the mile contest off a rating of just 78 the daughter of Invincible Spirit showed herself to well above that mark when finishing with a flourish to go one better than her previous start over course and distance.

Victory looked to be heading the way of German 1000 Guineas runner-up Stenton Glider, who had appeared to have got the better of all of her rivals following what looked like a well judged front running ride by Andrea Atzeni.

However, it was not to be with the 5-2 favourite having to settle for second best again after being picked up late on by the 22-1 chance who eventually forged clear to score by three-quarters of a length and complete a 137-1 double for jockey Tom Marquand.

Haggas said: “She is in the July Sale (at Tattersalls) on Thursday but I guess she will be out of that now. She ran very well here last time and was unfortunate. She probably should have won.

“I didn’t think bar the favourite that they were a great bunch. I thought they were a disappointing bunch of fillies, and I thought it was worth a shot.

“Then we got the outside draw, but we have a good jockey. We quite liked her today, which sounds off 78, but when fillies are in form you hope. You can win a Listed race if you don’t run in one.

“I like the way she looked and she has been looking really good and holding her condition well and eating well and all those things add up.”

Immediate plans remain fluid for Mystic Pearl, however Haggas hinted that he is likely to chance her arm at Group race level.

He added: “That is sort of job done and I guess we will try again in a Group Three as there is nothing to lose.

“She won’t be quick enough for that (Oak Tree Stakes at Goodwood) or the hurly-burly of that. Tom gave her a beautiful ride as he didn’t go too early. He nursed her into the race and used that turn of foot when they were slowing down.

“I would think we stay at a mile and go to France or somewhere for a Group Three.”

Charlie Hills once again demonstrated he is the man with the Midas touch when it comes to training sprinters after Equality took his form to new heights in the Coral Charge at Sandown Park.

After opening his account for the campaign in handicap company at Windsor last time, the Equiano gelding took the step back up in class in his stride when proving too strong for his rivals in the Group Three contest.

Racing front rank throughout the five-furlong dash in the hands of William Buick, the 7-1 chance found another change of gear out in front once asked for maximum effort to hold off the late challenge of recent Listed scorer Makarova by a length and a half.

Hills said: “He is a horse that I’ve always thought is a Group performer but he has just taken a long while to get to where we are.

“Looking at some of the family, he is a half-brother to Badri and he has started having a good time of it so maybe it is just a slow-maturing family.

“He is a horse in form and I was delighted with his win at Windsor last time. It has always been the plan to come here since then.

“We had a nice draw and he pinged the gates. In the past he has been slow from the gates. It probably wasn’t the plan to be in front but he didn’t seem to get taken on too much which did suit him.

“He travelled really well and he is a good sprinter. He is a horse that I’ve always really liked but he has just taken a while to get to where we are now.

“We’ve been really fortunate with them (sprinters) but I’ve just been sent the horses to do that. It is great."

A return to Group Two company now awaits Equality, with Hills very much looking at the Qatar Goodwood Festival and a tilt at the King George Qatar Stakes on August 4th.

He added: “That little bit of rain before the off probably helped him. I would be worried about very fast ground, which is unlike his dad as he liked it like a road.

“William has just said he loves to get his toe in there.

“The King George has been a lucky race in the past for me and I think that is where we should go with this fellow.”

The victory was also a notable one for winning syndicate Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds, who had previously enjoyed big race success with Hills with now retired sprinter Magical Memory.

He added: “We’ve had some great days with them. Magical Memory was a fantastic horse. He won the Stewards’ Cup and was unlucky not to win the Diamond Jubilee one year.

“I saw him at Goodwood the other week and he looked great parading around the paddock.

“Kennet Valley are a great syndicate and they give a lot of people a lot of fun.”

Trainer Roger Varian was hailed as an ‘absolute magician’ by the connections of Perotto after the 2021 Britannia Stakes winner agained his first win since that Royal Ascot victory with a ready success in the Coral Challenge.

The New Bay gelding made his third start for the Newmarket handler a triumphant when responding well to a first-time hood to capture the £100,000 mile prize and bring to an end his two-year wait for career success number five.

Bursting through inside the final quarter of a mile the 5-1 joint-favourite kept on finding plenty for pressure on the climb to the line to defeat Ouzo by a length and a quarter and get the ball rolling for Classic-winning rider Marquand.

Liam Keighley, joint-manager of Halcyon Thoroughbreds, said: “It has been long old arduous time since the Britannia. We’ve always said if he gets the right ride and gets the right luck in running then there are not many that can beat him.

“The hood has helped him today. Roger is an absolute magician and we are over the moon.

“We can’t get inside these animal’s heads. We have just got to keep persevering when you have got a horse with the mark that he has got.

“He has come down massively in the handicap over the last couple of years, which we are shocked by as he has never run a bad race. Fingers crossed he will just go on from here now.

“He has been working in the hood at home but we have always been in two minds about it.

“Roger called up after declarations and said that works all the time in a hood and are you happy for him to go in a hood and we said if that’s what you want to do go for it.

“It has worked an absolute treat and I think that was the making of him today.”

While Perotto’s latest success came under the care of Varian connections were quick to remember the efforts his previous trainer Marcus Tregoning had invested in the five-year-old.

Keighley added: “Marcus is a phenomenal trainer, and he has done so well with Perotto over the years and he won us the Britannia.

“We felt he needed a bit of a change of scenery, and it has worked. We wouldn’t have this horse of it wasn’t for Marcus and what he did in the first place. It is a team effort since we got him.”

Following the race Perotto was trimmed into 7-1 for the Coral Golden Mile at Goodwood on August 4th, which could now be an option according to connections.

Keighley said: “He is entered in the race at Goodwood but if he goes there that will be down to Roger.”

Pat Dobbs timed the run of Classic to perfection to claim the Coral Racing Club Handicap for trainer Richard Hannon.

The Julie Wood-owned three-year-old did not quite live up to expectations in the Greenham, but had run well twice subsequently in handicap company and Dobbs delivered the Dubawi colt in the dying strides to land the seven-furlong heat by a length from Novus.

“He is very tricky at home,” said Dobbs. “He is keen to get on with things and has only just started to settle down.

“He obviously has a very good pedigree so it was important to do it again at three and he is definitely going the right way.

“He had a different bit on today and a cross noseband which was a bit more manageable. He was galloping with his head in the air for the first three furlongs last time. Mentally he is getting better.”

The Ralph Beckett-trained Lord Protector gave Rossa Ryan success when staying on nicely after leading at the furlong pole to down Haunted Dream in the Coral Play ‘Racing-Super-Series’ For Free Handicap Stakes.