Auction

Integral was an impressive winner of the Listed Coral Distaff over a mile at Sandown on Saturday on just her second ever run, and it is likely that she has a bright future, but she hasn’t been missed by many – Michael Stoute’s fourth winner of the race in the last 11 years – she is sure to be popular wherever she runs next and, from a betting angle with an eye on the future, it may be that the fourth-placed filly Auction is the one to take out of the race.

The Ed Dunlop-trained filly travelled well up the inside in mid-division. Frankie Dettori took her off the inside rail three furlongs out to look for room but she could just never get a big enough gap. Jostled around two and a half furlongs out, her rider had to take back and angle for a gap towards the outside, but that closed on him as well as those from the rear improved. Her winning chance disappeared in that instance and, while she made ground between horses all the way to the line, she just couldn’t get a clear run at it. She ran into traffic again going inside the final furlong as the winner swooped down the outside, before she ran on again under hands and heels when in the clear very late on. She seemed to finish full of running.

Ed Dunlop’s filly might not have beaten the winner, it is difficult to tell how much the winner had in hand, but she might have gone close, she really didn’t get the chance to show her best, and she would probably have finished second at worst with a clear run.

The daughter of Mr Greeley has been tremendously impressive this season, winning her maiden on her reappearance and then winning with a huge amount in hand off a mark of 73 on her handicap debut at Newmarket. She followed up at Goodwood before being beaten just a neck in the Sandringham Handicap at Royal Ascot. She has been raised 3lb to a mark of 99 after this run, and she will be of interest now at either listed level again or back in a handicap even off her new mark. A strongly-run mile on quickish ground is probably her optimum.

6th July 2013