Renfrew Street breaks SEPTEMBER ROUNDUP prize-money barrier

WHEN RENFREW STREET a career high mark of 89 and faced eight FTER three runs in novice landed a 14-furlong handicap at rivals. Renfrew Street attempted to A company over sprint distances, Goodwood last month she not only make all the running, but was headed by Sheikh Hamdan bin earned more than £16,000 for her owner Gallifrey a quarter of a mile from home. Mohammed’s Sunbreak stepped up to a Dougie Livingston, she also helped Galvanised by Joe Fanning, she dug mile at Chelmsford for his handicap debut MJR to break through the £3 million deep to regain the lead and held on well on September 7. The colt, barrier for the first time to set a new under pressure to score by a neck and with Joe Fanning in the saddle, faced four Kingsley Park British prize-money the same from Melinoe and the fast- rivals. record. finishing Notice. Sunbreak was sent into the lead and, It’s interesting to chart the yard’s Renfrew Street is the very epitome of turning for home, the Kingsley Park colt progress in £500,000 increments. In versatility when it comes to ground looked to be travelling the best. When Storm Cry with Manohar Singh 1993, the yard’s runners earned conditions. In chronological order, first asked for his effort he began to pull clear £557,149, and, largely thanks to to most recent, she has won on ground Guineas winner Mister Baileys, the officially described as Good, Good to of his rivals, and ran on to win Asked to lengthen with a quarter of a mile following year saw the £1m mark Firm, Standard, Good to Soft and Soft! comfortably, a length and a quarter clear. to run, Sulafaat responded well and settled passed for the first time (£1,025,734). In Better than ever, she appears to have This was clearly improved form from into a protracted duel with Archie Perkins. 2000, the total passed £1.5m for the first relished the step up in trip and is a credit Sunbreak who appeared to be suited by the Sulafaat always seemed to be travelling time, and two years later Mark exceeded to her connections. Polytrack surface. Sunbreak’s dam is the just the better and at the post she had won £2m with a record haul of £2,302,134. mare, Carry On Katie, who won by a head, the pair having pulled five ’s annus mirabilis in 2004 the (Group 1) in lengths clear of the remainder. saw the yard just fail to hit £2.5m by 2003, going on to finish 6th in The Haatef filly is out of the Seeking Attrraction’s Guineas the following year. 63k or so, and it was to take another Sunbreak with Katy Tyler up The Gold mare, Elraabeya. She won a five years before the target was Sunbreak is a half-brother to Vocational, Sandown maiden over a mile, and stayed overtaken, with 2009 yielding £2.84m. by Exceed and Excel, a filly who won an extended mile and a quarter. Haatef Rastacap That total was exceeded in 2014 when twice over five furlongs as a juvenile for homebred opened her winning midsummer, when she finished second won over seven furlongs and wasn’t earnings exceeded £2.99m. Kingsley Park, and to Sandy’s Row, by account at Newcastle on September 8 three times and third once in four beaten far in the Desmond Stakes at This year’s total represents a , a filly who won over a mile and when landing a six-furlong novice event in successive races. At Brighton on Leopardstown over a mile, so one would fantastic effort, not least by Renfrew a quarter at Beverley at three. good style. September 11, she at last got her just expect Sulafaat to stay a mile in the Street herself, who has amassed three After showing up well on her debut at The Helmet filly is out of Mr Hart’s deserts when sweeping to victory in a six- fullness of time. of her five career wins in recent Ripon at the end of August, Hugh Hart’s Caribbean Dancer, making Rastacap a furlong fillies’ handicap. On a wet and Sunbreak reappeared at Kempton on months. half-sister to his winners windy day on the south coast, she was an September 13, carrying a 6lb penalty for Her Goodwood win on September 27 Notarised, Rhythmical and aptly named winner. his Chelmsford win. He was sent off the Renfrew Street with owner Dougie was especially meritorious. The Iffraaj Reggae Star. At Newcastle, The Poet’s Voice filly, owned by Alan even-money favourite, though he had 9st Livingston (right), groom Scott filly, now a four-year-old, was racing off Doherty and jockey Joe Fanning she faced 12 rivals. She was Spence and Mr and Mrs Hargreaves, was 13 to carry, conceding weight to all 11 of sent into an immediate lead one of just five runners in the race. David his rivals and racing over seven furlongs, in the centre of the track by Probert took the ride. stepping back in trip from his previous was closely attended by Revenge on his threw down a challenge on his outer while jockey Franny Norton. In the early stages, the three-year-old win. outer. Turning for home, Sunbreak was Panophobia slipped up his inner. Travelling strongly, Storm Cry was racing in fourth. As the Joe Fanning had Sunbreak quickly away travelling strongly and looked all over the Sunbreak always looked to have the Rastacap continued to lead leader went clear on the rail at the halfway and was able to grab the rail early on. He winner. With a furlong to travel, Revenge upper hand, however, and kept on well to the way and was pushed stage, the Kingsley Park filly looked to score by a neck from Panophobia, with clear entering the final have it all to do, especially as she was Revenge a head away in third. furlong. Chief Justice made racing a little wide. However, she began to Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s some headway to emerge as make excellent headway, collared the Poet’s Society is another colt who has the only realistic challenger leader with 75 yards to run, and went on to been exceptionally busy this year. He won in the closing stages, but score by one and a half lengths. a handicap over five furlongs at Rastacap was much too This was a second career success for Newmarket in June off a mark of 86; when strong for that colt and went Storm Cry, adding to her Ripon maiden lining up at Yarmouth on September 19, it on to score by two and a win last August. She has been raised 3lb was the first time since then that his rating half lengths. for this win, and remains on a competitive had dropped back to that mark. The filly betrayed some mark. Sulafaat Four went to post for the five-furlong signs of greenness, jumping Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum’s handicap at Yarmouth. Poet’s Society was the path across the finishing was making her handicap and all-weather ridden, for the first time, by champion line, but this was an debut at Newcastle on September 12. The jockey Jim Crowley. He sent Poet’s excellent performance and Haatef filly was also stepping up to a trip Society into an early lead, and attempted to bodes well for her future. of seven furlongs for the first time at make every post a winning one. Although Storm Cry has turned in Gosforth Park. some decent performances Facing 10 rivals, Sulafaat was asked to Rastacap wins under Franny Norton Sulafaat with Robby Fitzpatrick up this term, not least in make all the running by Franny Norton. Continued on p. 15 12 13 Continued from p. 13

he was travelling strongly, the favourite, Magical Leader, was tracking him, moving ominously well and even came upsides with just over a furlong to run. KP8 KP9 Showing admirable resolution, Poet’s Society kept on strongly and refused to be beaten. He forged clear towards the winning post, scoring by three-quarters of a length from Magical Leader. “Poet’s Society enjoyed the cut in the ground,” Jim told the Klarion, “and like so many of Mark’s horses, he was just so tough to pass once he got his head in front.” A switch to the all-weather seemed to work the oracle for Alan Spence’s NEW Knockout Blow at Kempton on September 25. Having his first run for 85 Knockout Blow with Manohar Singh up days, the son of Lethal Force opened his winning account with a win in the five- career wins) and Rex Imperator (5 wins). officially heavy, the first time Star of the furlong novice auction event under One of the bravest winners of last East has encountered such conditions. Silvestre de Sousa. month was undoubtedly Star of the East, Star of the East made much of the early Two new Kingsley Park Knockout Blow raced in fourth as No who landed a handicap over a gruelling running, kept to the inner by his jockey. More Commisery led the way. Switching mile and three quarters at Haydock on Intense Tango took over the lead in the his mount to the inner, de Sousa saved September 30. back straight, racing wide, but Star of the valuable ground on the home bend before Twice a winner as a juvenile last term, East continued to race prominently. partnerships launched sending Knockout Blow into the lead with Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s Cape Turning for home, Star of the East 150 yards to run. Iconic Knight got going Cross colt has run some decent races in stayed closer to the far rail, and staying on under Jamie Spencer in the closing stages, defeat this year, and was arguably unlucky well, struck the front again with two but it was all too late, Knockout Blow when demoted to second after passing the furlongs to race. Kept up to his work by crossing the line a length and a half ahead post in front at Newmarket in July. Jane, the colt dug deep to score by a of him. Apprentice jockey Jane Elliott came in length from Sepal, with Suegioo a neck Knockout Blow is out of the Danetime for a spare ride on the three-year-old at away in third. mare, Elidore. She won four races herself, Haydock, in a race where Star of the East These were really tough conditions and Join our record-breaking team! and in the paddocks has produced the was the only three-year-old in the field. Star of the East deserves huge credit for prolific winners Lexington Place (11 After a day of heavy rain, the ground was digging deep – as does his young jockey. Masterful Alexander is Roodee specialist

THE BUDDEN family’s to repel Nathan and then see off For full details, contact the MJR team Alexander M has had a fantastic Alexander M and the late thrust of Native year in 2017, having turned into Franny Norton Prospect, winning by a head. something of a Chester Alexander M returned to by phone on 01969 622237 specialist. The three-year-old Chester on the last day of the Mastercraftsman colt landed his month and, again racing on fourth and fifth wins of the year heavy ground over an extended or by E-mail at [email protected] at the Roodee on September 15 10 furlongs, he registered an and 30, having won there twice easy success in the hands of that earlier this year. man Norton. In 15 runs this term he has Making all the running, the also finished second three times and third three times. His colt quickened three lengths clear of his eight rivals with first Chester success for September came on heavy ground two furlongs to travel, and extended that lead once in line in a Class 3 handicap run over an extended 10 furlongs. for home. Despite being heavily eased by Franny close Franny Norton took the ride in a field of five. He set off in home, Alexander M won by a length and three quarters front, with the other horses racing in Indian file behind from Al Destoor. him. The order was largely unchanged until the closing Alexander M is just one of the winning progeny of the stages of the race, when Nathan launched a challenge on Budden’s mare, Naomh Geileis, along with Outbacker, the inner and looked a real danger to Alexander M. Assault On Rome and Rebel Assault. His excellent season www.markjohnstonracing.com But Franny straightened him up and the horse dug deep has seen his official rating rise from 66 to 89. 15