Murtagh on the mark with Spacious Johnny Murtagh rode his second winner at Royal Ascot this week when Spacious got the better of another Cheveley Park Stud-owned filly Heaven Sent in the Windsor Forest Stakes. The duo had the race to themselves in the final furlong as they pulled clear of the opposition, with the James Fanshawe-trained Spacious (10/1), coming out on top by a length. Sir Michael Stoute's Heaven Sent was filling the runner-up berth in this race for the second successive year, while Eva's Request was a further three lengths back in third. Murtagh was content to make the pace on his mount from Heaven Sent, who was close up under Ryan Moore. Very few got into the race although the 6/4 favourite Lush Lashes did flatter briefly before fading to finish sixth. Heaven Sent ranged alongside the leader and they fought out a terrific finish with Spacious coming out on top as she returned to her best form. Murtagh said: "I rode her at Epsom and she's a big-striding filly and just couldn't get balanced down the hill. I thought the stiff mile here might suit her and I let her use the beautiful stride she has. You can see she's tenacious and it was a good battle. My old boss (Fanshawe) is a dangerous man come Ascot and we were on the right one today." Fanshawe said: "Johnny said after her last run at Epsom he would like to ride her here and people have been saying for a long time we should be making more use of her stride. There didn't look to be an obvious front-runner, so Johnny felt he would go out and make it and he had a nice lead. "It was a hell of a battle with Heaven Sent. Obviously my ex-boss (Stoute) won't be very happy but it's great for us as our filly had been a bit disappointing since the Guineas last year. Let's hope she can go on from here." Chris Richardson, managing director of Cheveley Park Stud, said: "Both fillies were here on their own merit. Spacious came here after making her seasonal debut at Epsom and Johnny decided to stick with her, we let her go on and use her stride which was always the plan and after having some problems last year she is back to where she was. "I'm also thrilled with Heaven Sent who has run a great race for the second year in a row. Before the race I couldn't really have split them but I suppose I'd have fancied Heaven Sent slightly more to beat Lush Lashes." Mick Channon said of Eva's Request: "She's run well and I have no complaints with that. I know she beat the winner at Epsom but they did go a proper gallop that day. She's holding her form great, she's in the Falmouth and we'll look at that and all the good mile races, she wouldn't want the ground to be too firm."
