Shadn provides Andrew Balding with timely boost after "tough week"

Andrew Balding enjoyed a timely boost following a testing few days as Shadn got her head back in front in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury.

After watching stable star Beat The Bank suffer a fatal injury following his second victory in the Summer Mile at Ascot last Saturday, the Kingsclere handler had his spirits lifted by the daughter of No Nay Never, who gained her most significant success in the Listed prize.

Down the field in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, the 10-1 shot appeared to appreciate the return to six furlongs when wearing down long-time leader Misty Grey, before going on to score by three-quarters of a length, completing a double for rider Oisin Murphy.

Balding said: “I’m delighted. We put her in here as we thought we might nick a bit of black type, but she has done even better than that. It was a fine ride, she is improving and I think she will be better suited by better ground.

“I called it wrong at Ascot really. We were always going to go for the Albany and I don’t know why we deviated. It was my fault. She has plenty of speed, but this is as far as she would want, despite her dam’s pedigree.

“We will look for a Group Three somewhere. That (Dick Poole, Salisbury) is very much a possibility.”

Reflecting on the death of Beat The Bank, he added: “It has been a tough week. The response has been amazing and overwhelming, really. We would love to turn the clock back and for it not to happen.

“He wore his heart on his sleeve and won plenty of races, so he endeared himself to plenty of people apart from just us.”