Who’s Lope sets the tone for the Baldings, with Item looming In a week’s time it will be a very different setting for the Andrew Balding team, who enjoyed a winner at Beverley on Saturday before the countdown begins in earnest to Epsom and the Derby. Who’s Lope (2-1) boosted the Kingsclere operation as he took advantage of a mishap from short-priced favourite Urchin to break his maiden at the third time of asking in the Birch Flooring Novice Stakes. The Karl Burke-trained Urchin was sent off the 1-2 favourite on the Westwood but his race was essentially run by the first bend when he ran wide and never truly recovered. Balding’s three-year-old took it up and never saw either of his two rivals again, finding found more inside the final furlong to win going away from the staying-on Urchin by four and a quarter lengths. Anna Lisa Balding, assistant to her husband, said: “We’re delighted with that. He’s been doing some good work at home and we thought it would be worth the trip up and it definitely was. “It was unfortunate what happened to the other horse on the bend, but I think he will have learned a lot from that and hopefully he’ll come on again. “He kept finding more and he’s run on to the line and so more exciting days ahead, I hope. We’re delighted.” It will fall to Juddmonte-owned Frankel colt Item to fly the flag for the Baldings in the blue riband, for which he is the shortest-priced domestic challenger on the back of his victory in the Dante at York. Balding added: “He’s in good order. He did his final bit of work this morning and Andrew is absolutely happy with him. “He’s unbeaten and deserves to take his chance in the Derby. Exciting times.” Oisin Orr will get fewer easier winners this season than Sportingsilvermine (7-2) in the opening Napoleons Casino Hull Handicap. James Owen’s five-year-old laid down his challenge two furlongs from home and Orr asked his mount for more approaching the one pole and the Holy Roman Emperor gelding quickly left his rivals in his wake as he sped away to come home six lengths clear of the field. Orr said: “I definitely won’t have many easier winners than that. There was plenty of pace on early and I just took my lead and he did it very nicely.” Mikey Sheehy celebrated just his second victory in Britain on Vietnorm (2-1) after moving from Ireland, in what was an eventful ICS Cleaning Services Handicap over 10 furlongs. Bradbury had just hit the front when he veered sharply left across the track and although Ryan Sexton got control of the favourite to get him back in front, Sheehy and the fast-finishing Vietnorm just did enough to get up by a head. Sheehy said of the Adrian Keatley-trained winner: “These four-runner races can be harder to run than any race. It was great for the lads, a great bunch of owners and if he goes up to a mile and a half we’ll see a better horse.” Connor Beasley completed a double on Glenfinnan (12-1) in the Happy Birthday Colin “Spud” Stamford Handicap, having earlier won the Hilary Needler Trophy on Crystal Queen. The 66-1 outsider Anificas Beauty got up late on the outside to collar the front-running Penny Ghent and win the closing Platinum Queen Play Live After Racing Handicap.
