Watering helped keep the going for the second day of this two-day meeting good to firm.
Though conditions were much duller than yesterday, Pink Flamingo’s big white face was easy to spot during the first race, over 5f. The 13/8 favourite has been in good form for Epsom trainer Michael Attwater, and now she made it three wins in her last four outings. Driven into the lead by Harry Bentley a furlong out, she was soon in command, and All Back To Mine was flattered to get to within three quarters of a length of her at the post.
Gay Kelleway isn’t known for winning with two-year-old debutantes, but today Lady Quickstep (16/1) bucked the trend by hosing up in the maiden auction race. Admittedly, she was getting weight from all bar one of her opponents. She was prominent early before drifting right over to the stands rail, to run by herself. It was impossible to tell until close home that she was well ahead of the rest, and she shot past the post four lengths up. That useful apprentice William Cox rode her. Paper Star, from a stable whose youngsters have been among the winners, finished second.
Tigerfish (7/2), whose form here was 110632, improved her record still further by taking the 1m4f handicap by nine lengths. Hollie Doyle had her tracking the leader until taking over in front at halfway. In the dip she was going much better than anything else and soon drew right away to win with minimum effort. It was trainer William Stone’s third winner at Brighton this season. Sigrid Nansen led her toiling opponents home.
4/7 shots are of no interest to most on-course punters, so those that took a chance on the 5/2 second favourite in the three-horse race over 1m2f were on good terms with themselves afterwards. The favourite, Sashenka, led for most of the way, but inside the penultimate furlong she was in trouble. There Just Benjamin, trained by William Haggas and ridden by Liam Jones, responded to pressure and came through on the rails to take the lead, and he went on to score by three lengths.
The 7f handicap ended with a dramatic finish involving Barasti Dancer (11/1) and Adelante.
First of all, Adelante was badly squeezed when starting her run two out. This left the Dancer in front, but the filly rallied, only to be pushed onto the rail by the leader, who just hung on to his advantage. The official verdict was a head, though it looked closer than that at the time. To say Adelante was an unlucky loser is an understatement, and some thought the Dancer was fortunate to keep the race. His jockey, Shane Kelly, did have his whip in his left hand, which was the correct one for steering purposes. Karl Burke was the winning trainer.
The Amy Murphy-trained Blessed To Empress (11/10 fav) was second here at the opening meeting and tonight Sylvestre de Sousa replaced the apprentice who rode her before. In another exciting 7f contest, in which five horses were vying for the lead a furlong out, she hit the front a stride or two before the post to deprive Maazel of the spoils by a head. It needed all the champion jockey’s strength to get her there in time.
The evening ended with yet another close finish, this time over 6f. After several disappointing efforts, Joseph Tuite’s Who Told Jo Jo (7/2) was fancied to go much better. Jason Watson held him up in last place till coming out of the dip with a run on the outside. He then veered over to the far rail. With 150 yards to go collared the grey Holdenhurst, who had been snatched up at the first turn, and wasn’t given much room now by the new leader. There was a neck between them at the line.
