Prydwen (left) © Photo Healy Racing
The Northumberland Plate is likely to be next on the agenda for Prydwen after he continued his lucrative all-weather campaign in the Liz And Izzy’s Hoap Podcast Handicap at Southwell.
An impressive winner on All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Newcastle a month ago, the six-year-old was a 3-1 joint-favourite for the £75,000 feature on this Premier Raceday fixture in Nottinghamshire.
Carrying top-weight of 9st 12lb, Prydwen sat in the slipstream of the pacesetting Pledgeofallegiance for much of the two-mile contest and was the only horse still on the bridle rounding the final bend.
Callum Shepherd angled his mount towards the stands’ rail once straightening up for home and George Scott’s charge was well on top as he passed the post a length and a half clear of Onesmoothoperator.
Scott said: “I know it sounds crazy at the age of six, but we seem to have unlocked the way to ride him by default at Newcastle. He’s quite a nervous horse and he’s run his worst races when he’s been claustrophobic, so the plan today was always to get up on the pace and sit on the outside.
“I thought Callum gave him a really sensible ride and it was a very good performance from the horse, carrying that weight and giving 13lb to the second.
“I think he’ll probably go for the Northumberland Plate. He’ll probably have plenty of weight, but he can clearly give weight away on that surface and the Plate is over a course and distance he’s won over, so it’s an absolute no-brainer.
“If he was to win the Northumberland Plate, we might look at the Goodwood Cup, but we’ll see.”
Derby entrant Sardinian Warrior was an emphatic winner of the Boost Your Football Acca At Planet Sport Bet Novice Stakes.
A promising second on his Kempton introduction in December, the son of Saxon Warrior was the 7-4 favourite for his reappearance and was not hard pressed to scoot four and a half lengths clear under hand driving from Kieran Shoemark, with newcomer T’Challa one to note in second.
“He kind of did everything I expected of him,” Shoemark told Sky Sports Racing.
“We ended up in front a long way from home and I think there was a combination of him being green, which he’s entitled to be, and possibly getting tired as well – he’s having a nice blow.
“We always knew he was going to come on for today, so it was very encouraging.”
On whether Sardinian Warrior could take up his engagement in the Dante Stakes at York on May 16, the jockey added: “I’m really not sure, obviously we’ll see how he comes out of today and that’s not a decision I’ll be making, but I really liked what I felt from him today and I’m sure there’s plenty more to come.”
Blue Day justified short-priced favouritism for the in-form Harry Charlton with victory in the Download The Planet Sport Bet App Handicap.
Not seen since picking up the silver medal on his third career start at Kempton in October, the three-year-old was a 6-5 shot for his handicap debut and got the job done readily under Oisin Murphy.
“Harry Charlton took out the licence in his own right at the start of this year and is doing really well. He said this horse had trained well and it was probably a good spot for him, so it was nice to get it all together,” said Murphy.
“It was a little bit messy, stop-start sort of race, but I was able to get to the fence and it was straightforward. He’s a powerful type and hopefully he’ll go through the grades.”
Murphy made it a quickfire double when Tom Clover’s 5-2 favourite Al Barez got the better of a late battle with Billyjoh in the Read Harry Cobden’s Blog At Planet Sport Bet Handicap over six furlongs.
Charlie Johnston and Joe Fanning teamed up to win the first two races on the card, with Baileys Khelstar (16-5) dominating his rivals in the Race By Race Southwell Specials @planetsportbet Handicap before Francophone (11-1) impressed in the Best Odds Guaranteed At Planet Sport Bet Fillies’ Handicap.
