A Decent Thursday on the Yorkshire Coast
Now look, I'll be straight with you — when someone mentions a Thursday afternoon at Redcar in early September, your first instinct might not be to drop everything and reach for the binoculars. But jaysus, if today's Redcar racecard didn't deliver a proper spread of racing worth talking about over a pint. Seven races, a Group 3 at the top of the bill, a pair of £40k Class 2s sandwiching it, and ground that was honest enough — Good to Soft, Soft in places — to sort the genuine articles from the ones that were only ever going to flatter to deceive. That North Yorkshire air has a way of finding out a horse, and today was no different.
The going was the first talking point. Soft in places on the first day of September is no great shock — we've had a damp summer across the north of England and the track was carrying plenty of moisture. That matters enormously in sprints, and with two big six-furlong fillies' races on the card, the draw and the ability to handle cut in the ground were going to be decisive factors. File that away, because it'll be relevant when we talk about who to follow from here.
The Feature: Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes (Group 3, 6f)
Right, let's get to the main event. The IRE-Incentive Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes is a race with genuine Group 3 status and a £75,000 pot, and this year's renewal looked as competitive as any in recent memory. Eleven fillies going to post over six furlongs on ground that was testing enough to make stamina a real factor — this wasn't just a dash for the line, this was a proper examination.
The one that had my attention from the moment the declarations came in was Nuit d'Eclair, carrying a rating of 100 and partnered by David Egan. A hundred-rated filly in a Group 3 is always going to be the one to beat, and Egan is a jockey who absolutely thrives in these big-field sprint conditions. He's tactically astute, doesn't panic, and he's been in cracking form all season. If Nuit d'Eclair was anywhere near her best, she was always going to take some stopping.
But I wouldn't have been throwing the race away on her at short odds either. Dark Issue (rated 97, Pat Dobbs up) was the obvious danger — a filly who's shown she handles ease in the ground and who Dobbs knows inside out. Then there's Miss Kodi at 95 with Rossa Ryan, who's been a model of consistency all season and who I think is slightly underestimated by the market more often than not. Acclamation Star (94, Kieran Shoemark) was another with each-way claims — Shoemark is a man who can ride a sprint with the best of them and that filly has been knocking on the door.
The wildcard I liked the look of? Impulsive Spirit, unrated, with Rob Hornby in the saddle. Now, when a horse comes into a Group 3 without an official rating, either they're hopelessly out of their depth or someone fancies them to cause a stir. Hornby doesn't take rides like this for the good of his health. Watch that one closely wherever she turns up next.
The Supporting Cast — Ones for the Notebook
The British EBF Quidhampton Maiden Fillies' Stakes (Class 2, 6f 213y, £40k) was a race where the unraced or lightly-raced fillies were always going to dominate the conversation. When you've got Oisin Murphy steering Thi Qar and Colin Keane on Concurrent, you know the big yards have sent their best ammunition. Murphy doesn't schlep up to Redcar on a Thursday without a live chance underneath him — that's just not how the man operates. Thi Qar is one I'd be watching very carefully wherever she goes next, particularly if connections step her up to seven furlongs or a mile on similar ground.
Ellavara with Rossa Ryan was another that caught my eye in the entries. Ryan has been riding with tremendous confidence this backend of the season and he has a knack for getting the best out of fillies who need a bit of encouragement rather than being scrubbed along. If she ran with any credit today, she's worth following into nursery or conditions company.
Over in the Lochsong Fillies' Handicap (Class 2, 6f, £40k), Havana Pusey with Murphy again was the one at the top of the weights (rated 94) and you'd have to respect that combination. But the one I'd be sneaking onto the tracker is Angel Shared — rated just 79 with Dougie Costello, a jockey who knows every blade of grass at northern tracks and who has a brilliant strike rate with horses who are starting to find their level. If Angel Shared ran well here, a mark of 79 could look very generous in a few weeks' time.
Apprentice and Staying Handicap Notes
The opening Al Basti Equiworld Apprentice Handicap over a mile is always worth a look for the notebook brigade. These races throw up progressive types who are still learning their trade, and City of God (rated 70, James Glennon) with the course and distance form flags attached looked the most interesting profile in the field. A horse that's already shown it handles Redcar and this trip is never to be dismissed lightly, especially when the ground is on the testing side — that filters out the ones who are only effective on a fast surface.
In the concluding Lester Aldridge Handicap (Class 4, 1m 1f 201y), Zgharta with Murphy (rated 83) was a fascinating runner. Murphy taking a ride in a Class 4 mile-and-a-bit handicap at the end of a seven-race card tells you something — either it's a favour to connections or he genuinely thinks the horse has more to offer. Given Murphy's professionalism, I'd lean toward the latter. Aleatrix with Rossa Ryan also had the course and distance form flags, which matters enormously over this longer trip on soft ground.
Where Do These Horses Go Next?
The Dick Poole winner, whoever she may be, will almost certainly be aimed at a Listed or Group race before the season closes — possibly the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket in late September if she's a two-year-old, or a fillies' Listed sprint if she's older. Keep an eye on the declarations for Newmarket's Rowley Mile season opener and Ascot's autumn card.
The unraced or debut fillies from the Quidhampton Maiden are the ones I'd be most excited about tracking. Maiden winners at Redcar in early September who show any class tend to progress rapidly — the ground sorts them out and you get a genuine read on their ability. If any of them win with a bit in hand, they could be Listed-class by October.
And for the handicappers — Angel Shared and City of God are the two I'm scribbling in the back of the notebook. Low-rated, northern-track specialists with good jockey bookings. The sort of horses that win three handicaps on the bounce before the handicapper catches up with them. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Final Word from the Paddock
All in all, a Redcar afternoon that delivered more than its billing promised. The ground played its part in sorting the field, the Dick Poole gave us a genuine Group 3 spectacle, and the supporting card was littered with horses worth following into the autumn. If you missed any of it, get yourself over to the full Redcar racecard and have a proper look at the form — there's gold in them hills, as they say.
The flat season is winding toward its climax, the nights are drawing in, and before long I'll be back in my natural habitat talking about hurdles and fences. But days like this remind you why the flat has its own charm. Now, who's getting the next round in?
