Moneycantbuymelove

Moneycantbuymelove ran a hell of a race to land the last race at Royal Ascot on Wednesday, the Sandringham Handicap. Really well drawn in stall four, close to the favoured stands rail, the early manoeuvring through the early stages of the race negated that advantage completely. Both Moneycantbuymelove and The Queen's horse Golden Stream moved over towards the centre of the track in order to look for a run. Of the two, it was Golden Stream who got the better run through. She began slicing through runners at the three-furlong pole, then suddenly burst through the clear gap that opened up at the two-furlong marker. Meanwhile, Jamie Spencer on Moneycantbuymelove was out in the middle of the track looking for racing room at the three, then moved back towards the stands rail and ended up following Golden Stream through. Golden Stream took it up a furlong and a half out, and for a little while it looked like there would be a Royal winner to end the day, but Moneycantbuymelove was quickly out after her. Golden Stream was still a length up at the furlong pole but Michael Bell's filly gradually wore her down, took it up 150 yards out and powered clear to win, eased down, under an animated Spencer.

The daughter of Pivotal just continues to progress. Still a maiden at the start of this season, she ran really well to finish fifth in the valuable Timeform race at Newmarket in April, despite meeting trouble in running, and she showed a smart turn of foot to win the old Lupe Stakes at Goodwood - a listed race to get off the mark - on her last run before Wednesday. All three of her runs this term before Ascot had been over 10 furlongs, and you would never have thought that a step up in trip would be a problem to her, but she proved on Wednesday that she also had the pace to be really effective over a strongly-run mile. Michael Bell has intimated that the Falmouth Stakes was next on her radar. That would be a fair step up in class for her, and she would have her work cut out to beat Ghanaati in that if the Guineas and Coronation Stakes heroine were to take her chance in it. But if Spacious lines up in the race as well, and adopts the front-running tactics that Johnny Murtagh employed on her to such effect in the Windsor Forest last week, then she should get the fast pace over a mile that seems to suit her so well, and she could be a player in that contest.

17th June 2009

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