Sandown review: Latharnach stars among Kirby treble
Last Updated: 18/09/14 10:43am
A review of the rest of Wednesday's action from Sandown, where Adam Kirby enjoyed three winners from four rides.
Adam Kirby took Sandown by storm with a treble highlighted by Latharnach's superlative display in the Max Patel Wealth Manager Of Choice Novice Stakes.
The jockey demonstrated his great range of talent, making every yard on the Charlie Appleby-trained winner, who is definitely something for owners Godolphin to look forward to, and needing all his strength to keep Tenor up to his work to take the featured Listed race.
Kirby is a hard man to outpoint when he has the bit between his teeth and he said: "You need a good horse to win any race at Sandown Park, as you can't nick races here. There is no hiding place.
"Mr Appleby's horse is a really nice prospect for the future, very exciting, while it's always a pleasure to put one on the board for John (Ryan, trainer of Tenor)."
Latharnach was sent off a 4/6 chance and always looked like proving the market to be right.
His rider only had to let out an inch of rein for the son of Iffraaj to skip two and three-quarter lengths clear, with main danger Time Test a length and three-quarters ahead of the promising Mister Brightside.
Kirby added: "He's going the right way and was beautifully relaxed in front.
"Once I turned on the tap, nothing was going to get to me and the lovely thing is he'll get better with age."
The Kirby treble was initiated by 9/1 scorer Only Ten Per Cent in the Racehorse Sanctuary Remembers Moorcroft Boy Handicap.Kirby kept the six-year-old up to his work to stave-off the challenges of Dreams Of Glory and Rocket Rob by a length and half a length.
A delighted John Jenkins, who is enjoying a bountiful season with 37 winners, recalled Queen's Music giving him his first winner as a trainer in a valuable handicap hurdle here in 1976.
Of Only Ten Per Cent, he said: "He's only run on turf a handful of times, but that's his second for me on the grass and I haven't had him long.
"He's in at Nottingham next week, but we'll have to see how he is."
Kirby went to on to complete his hat-trick when the industrious Tenor made it two wins in the space of four days with a dogged success in the featured Nigel & Carolyn Elwes Fortune Stakes.
Dartmouth showed himself to be a long-term prospect with the scope to go far when sauntering home for the Queen in the British Stallion Studs/Exhibition News Maiden Stakes.
The attractive colt (5/2 favourite) looked to have come on for his promising debut effort at Goodwood and far too many guns for Delusional up the final hill, winning by two lengths in the hands of Ryan Moore.
Sir Michael Stoute was not present, but his representative James Savage said of the Derby entrant: "He's a good looking Dubawi and was Darley-bred.
"He's a good mover and enjoyed the ground, but we weren't sure how strong the race was in depth.
"Whatever the case, you couldn't fault the way he did it."
Ajig gained a first win on turf and showed a tough-as-teak side of her character to outpoint Palerma in the St. James's Palace Wealth Management Fillies' Handicap.
Having been placed here last week, the 13/2 chance was half a length too good, with favourite Perfect Persuasion staying on for minor honours.
Eve Johnson Houghton said: "She's not very big, but she makes up for it in toughness. I was chancing my arm running her back so quick, but it was the last Sandown meeting and she loves that hill.
"She's in the Horses In Training sales, but is leased to the syndicate by Mrs Robeson who I hope to persuade to keep her going."
Raise Your Gaze confirmed his liking for Sandown with a second course-and-distance triumph for Clive Cox in the Support Racehorse Sanctuary Text: 70070 Handicap.
Ryan Tate's mount enjoyed an ease in grade to score by two lengths and half a length from Beakers N Num Nums and Shamas Crown.
Cox said: "He probably enjoyed this slightly quicker ground and the stiff mile and a quarter here suits him admirably. The horses are running well and I'm thrilled with him."
Norab (13/2) rounded out proceedings with victory for the Marco Botti yard in the Wildwood Golf And Country Club Handicap.