Betfred Middleton Stakes |
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| Group 2, York £100,000 added, Fillies, 4yo plus, 1m 2f 88y, Class 1 |
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| Thursday 15th May 2014 | |
1 Ambivalent 9/2
2 Secret Gesture 9/2
3 Odeliz 8/1
NR: Sinaadi (IRE)
8 ran Distances: 1¾l, 1l, 1¾l
TIME 2m 10.21s (slow by 2.71s)
Ambivalent wins the Group 2 Betfred Middleton Stakes at York under Andrea Atzeni for trainer Roger Varian.
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A Group One winner last season in Ireland, she ran a storming race at Meydan in March when third in the Dubai Sheema Classic against the boys. Trainer Roger Varian had targeted this race since her return to Britain and Andrea Atzeni was happy to make the running.
She looked beaten two furlongs out as Thistle Bird and Secret Gesture loomed up looking big threats. But Ambivalent really knuckled down to the task and the 9-2 chance ended up winning going away by a length and three-quarters from Secret Gesture, with Odeliz staying on into third.
Atzeni said: "She's a very tough filly. She gets a bit wound-up before racing but she's done it all of her life. I got quite an easy lead and she kept finding more all the way to the line."
Varian said: "She's a real personality, but she has a very big heart. She can act up a bit pre-race but not take anything out of herself. We learned in Dubai she took comfort in being with a pony and it just about contained her.
"She's not too bad at home when she's in her routine. She's just a bit highly-strung, that's her.
"Having been second in this last year, to come back and win is great. The loose plan is she'll go back in to Group One company. She competes so well abroad - winning in Ireland, second in Turkey and third in Dubai - so she's likely to go travelling in the autumn."
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Ralph Beckett, trainer of Secret Gesture, said: "She ran very well and we're delighted. She's beaten by a Group One winner and I'm sure she'll improve for the run. We'll probably aim towards the Pretty Polly (Curragh, June 29). That is the obvious target."
Karl Burke said of Odeliz: "It was a great run and that ground is as quick as she wants. We'll have a think about where we go next."
Betfred Middleton Stakes (Fillies' Group 2)
£100,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m 2f 88y, Class 1
8 ran
Going: Good to Soft (Good in places)
| Horse Trainer |
Jockey Weight |
SP Distance |
|
| 1 |
Ambivalent R Varian |
Andrea Atzeni 9st 0lbs |
9 - 2 Winner |
| 2 |
Secret Gesture R M Beckett |
J P Spencer 9st 0lbs |
9 - 2 1 3/4 length |
| 3 |
Odeliz K R Burke |
D Tudhope 9st 0lbs |
8 - 1 1 length |
| 4 |
Mango Diva Sir Michael Stoute |
R L Moore 9st 0lbs |
9 - 2 1 3/4 length |
| 5 |
The Lark M L W Bell |
T P Queally 9st 2lbs |
16 - 1 1/2 length |
| 6 |
Thistle Bird R Charlton |
L Dettori 9st 0lbs |
10 - 3 1 length |
| 7 |
Quiz Mistress H Morrison |
I Mendizabal 9st 0lbs |
20 - 1 2 lengths |
| 8 |
Gifted Girl P F I Cole |
Jim Crowley 9st 0lbs |
8 - 1 5 lengths |
| NR |
Sinaadi B J Meehan |
K Fallon 9st 0lbs |
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