St Leger Festival: Desert Flower blooms in impressive May Hill success | Racing News

Desert Flower justified even money favouritism and maintained her unbeaten record when finishing powerfully to win the Betfred May Hill Stakes at Doncaster.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, the Night Of Thunder filly had won two races at Newmarket before stepping into Group Two company.

She briefly looked in a spot of bother two furlongs out as Ollie Sangster’s Flight cruised into the lead still hard on the bridle, while William Buick was getting lower in the saddle on the market leader.

Desert Flower changed gear soon after, however, and she ended up stamping her class on the race.

She went on to win by a length and a half from Aidan O’Brien’s January, with Flight fading back into third.

Coral cut the winner to 12-1 from 16s for next season’s 1000 Guineas, while Paddy Power make her 4-1 from 6-1 for the Fillies’ Mile.

Buick said: “That was very pleasing. Obviously she’s done everything right so far and you look at her and she’s a nice, big filly with plenty of scope for next year.

“I was always happy and she handled the ground. She just had a look when she got to the front, which you can always excuse on an inexperienced two-year-old. I was delighted with her.

“She came into the race very easily, which is the sign of a quality horse obviously, and she kind of confirmed what she showed us at home and on the racecourse on her first two starts.”

Appleby’s assistant Alex Merriam said: “We’ll take that, Will was very pleased with her. She travelled very nicely through the race and was professional. She had a little look when she hit the front, but she’s seen it out well and we couldn’t ask for any more really.

“Will said he didn’t think the ground matters too much either way. I don’t think it’s too soft out there, but she handles different sorts of ground and fingers crossed we can go to the Fillies’ Mile now.

“She showed that turn of foot at Newmarket, but in maiden and novice races, so you never know quite what you’ve got or what you’ve beaten until you take in the good races, but she’s done it nicely and deserves a shot at a Group One now.

“She’s not a flashy work horse, she’s always done everything nicely but she wouldn’t set the world alight at home. That can be the way sometimes.

“We’ll go for the Fillies’ Mile and see where we go from there, but she’s a big, scopey filly, so hopefully all she’s going to do is improve.

“I’d say she’s our best two-year-old filly anyway.”

Nakheel gallops on gamely to plunder Park Hill spoils

The unexposed Nakheel took full advantage of her weight allowance to hold off the consistent Night Sparkle in the Betfred Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes at Doncaster.

Trained by Owen Burrows, the three-year-old was still a maiden when the season started and has been steadily improving in Pattern company since.

She finished a four-length third to Scenic in the Galtres Stakes at York’s Ebor meeting, but looked much more at home stepping up another two furlongs in trip.

Jim Crowley chose to make his challenge down the inside, which had been shunned in the previous race, but it did not make a difference.

Ryan Moore briefly looked to be holding all the aces on Grateful after Sumo Sam, last year’s winner, began to backpedal, but when stamina was at a premium, Grateful was found wanting.

Nakheel (10-1), sporting first-time cheekpieces, made her bid for home and had enough in the locker to hold off Night Sparkle by a length and a half.

Burrows said: “Watching her at York last time, we thought the trip would help, certainly a bit of ease in the ground would help and I think the cheekpieces have helped a bit as well.

“She’s not ungenuine by a long way, but they just helped her travel a bit further and sharpened her up.

“She’s been coming up through Listed races and getting placed, we thought this would be an obvious spot for her and it’s worked out great.

“She came off the bridle a fraction turning in but she came straight back on, so I knew then we still had plenty of petrol in the tank and I thought she would certainly stay on right to the line.

“We haven’t got any fancy entries, but she’s progressing nicely and we’ll speak to Sheikh Ahmed about where we go from here.

“From a trainer’s point of view, I’d love to have her back as a four-year-old, in which case I’m not sure we need to do anything else this year.

“We’re getting to know her and she’s still lightly-raced, so we’ll see.”

Hallasan shades tough battle to claim valuable victory

Hallasan continued his upward trajectory by claiming a lucrative success in the Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes at Doncaster.

Charlie Appleby’s youngster was a beaten favourite on his first three starts, but was placed on each occasion and rewarded those who kept the faith when opening his account in some style at Nottingham in July.

The gelded son of Pinatubo was a 15-2 shot on his return from a mid-season break and quickened up smartly to grab the lead inside the final two furlongs under a positive ride from William Buick.

Ryan Moore produced 11-4 favourite Camille Pissarro with what looked like a winning run shortly afterwards but try as he might, he could never quite get on terms with Hallasan, who the judge confirmed had clung on by a nose after the pair flashed by the post almost as one.

“He dug really deep. He’s sort of been in front a long time, but he kept responding and I’m delighted with him,” Buick said of the winner.

“He’s a horse who showed plenty of ability early on and he might just be fulfilling it now.

“He may get seven (furlongs), although he is a sharp horse. It’s a lovely race to win, he hadn’t run for a while before today, so he’s obviously improving at the right time of year.”

Appleby’s assistant Alex Merriam added: “Will was very pleased with him, he’s toughed it out well and showed plenty of speed.

“He’s a small horse and we thought he was going to be an early one, but actually he’s just taken a little while to come to himself.

“He’s obviously a Pinatubo, so it’s nice for us to win a nice race with one of his.

“I’ve just spoken to Charlie and he said he thought he might be a nice horse to take to Dubai.”