Bible Belt could provide answer to Harrington’s prayers at York

Still fondly remembered for her achievements with the great championship chaser Moscow Flyer, Harrington hopes victory in the Grade One Darley Yorkshire Oaks on Thursday will provide adequate compensation for Laughing Lashes trailing home in last place 12 months ago.

Laughing Lashes was subsequently found to be sick – her temperature was 104 – but Harrington is confident that the progressive Bible Belt can win a deserved Group One race for the first time.

“The Yorkshire Oaks has been the target for Bible Belt for some time and she is in great order. We were really delighted with her third in the Ballyroan Stakes when she got chopped off a bit at a vital time,” said Harrington yesterday.

“It has been hard trying to get races for her with the ground, but the Ballyroan run should have put her in peak condition for this. I’d like to think she’ll improve a bit for that run the other day and she’ll definitely improve if we ever get some better ground. Hopefully, we can get some over at York.”

BetVictor make Bible Belt a 10-1 chance, and have installed The Fugue – trained by John Gosden – as 15-8 favourite.

The Fugue is a deserving market leader. Owned and bred by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and his wife Madeleine, an accomplished equestrian in her own right, she romped to victory in the Musidora Stakes at York’s Dante meeting in May.

However, The Fugue, and her jockey William Buick, were a luckless third in the Epsom Oaks – and the rider was not even aboard the Lloyd Webber’s equine heroine when she returned to winning ways in the Group One Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. He was well-beaten on stablemate Izzi Top.

To compound matters, Izzi Top and Buick were narrowly beaten by Ed Dunlop’s returning star, Snow Fairy, in the Darley Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville yesterday. It was winning jockey Ryan Moore’s sixth Group One win on the victor who had been off the track since triumphing in Japan last November.

Buick, a Northern Racing College graduate who regularly excels at York, will be hoping that the Welcome to Yorkshire-sponsored Ebor festival brings him a deserved change of luck.

The 24-year-old’s contractual commitments to Gosden also meant that he missed out on I’m A Dreamer’s victory in the Beverly D Stakes at Arlington, one of America’s most prestigious races, on Saturday night. It was a landmark win for Hayley Turner, Britain’s top female jockey and the first woman to ride the winner of this premier contest.

The David Simcock-trained five-year-old took over in the stretch and just had enough in the tank to hold the fast-finishing Marketing Mix by a head, with the Buick-ridden Joviality back in third.

Turner was making history in Chicago, having last year performed a similar feat when standing in for Buick as Simcock’s Dream Ahead won the July Cup at Newmarket.

The victory automatically qualifies I’m A Dreamer – who was third to the aforementioned Izzi Top in York’s Middleton Stakes earlier this year – for the Breeders’ Cup Filly And Mare Turf at Santa Anita as part of the ‘win and you’re in’ series.

“Hayley has won on the filly twice in her career now and also substituted for me last year in the July Cup,” said Simcock.

“She is normally William’s ride, but he had to ride for Mr Gosden and I put some names to the owner and his choice was Hayley – she’s a very capable jockey.

“She travelled really strong, there wasn’t a massive amount of pace early on, but we half expected that. She ran quite fresh and picked up really well. We have loads of options now. It’s which route we want to take. Yellow Ribbon and Breeders’ Cup is one route or Champions Day and Prix de l’Opera, there are lots of options.

“This will be her last season racing.”

Turner added: “I can’t believe it. Thanks again to David Simcock and his team, because I haven’t had a lot to do with the filly.

“So credit to them really – it was very kind of them to just put me on board.

“When you have a horse with that kind of ability, it makes your job a lot easier.

“I thought she had a good chance, she had a lovely attitude before the race and she’s run well in North America before.”

On missing out on I’m A Dreamer, Buick said: “I have a fantastic job and it’s swings and roundabouts. I’m delighted for Hayley, but I have to stick to my job and I’m very fortunate to have my job.”

Turner, who won last year’s Group One Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes on the now retired Margot Did, heads to York full of confidence.

Meanwhile, Marco Botti is praying for rain so that he can run Planteur against the mighty Frankel in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York on Wednesday.

The Newmarket handler will declare the five-year-old for the mile-and-a-quarter showpiece, but will not risk the former French-trained horse if he considers the ground to be too fast.

Planteur should have appeared on the Knavesmire for the Sky Bet Stakes last month, only for Botti to pull him out because of the drying conditions.

“He’s going to be declared, but we will have to monitor the weather forecast. Hopefully we will have showers,” said Botti whose Jakkalberry won the inaugural American St Leger at Arlington.

The ground at York was described as good to firm yesterday morning by assistant clerk of the course Anthea Morshead.

n Royal Ascot winner Reckless Abandon swept to Group One glory in the Darley Prix Morny when taking his unbeaten record to four at Deauville.

Clive Cox’s speedy youngster was quickly away, enabling Gerald Mosse to grab the stand-side rail and make the running.

Cox, whose horses are in magnificent form, said: “We’re all over the moon. He’s done it really well and I couldn’t be happier. It’s been a wonderful week, what with winning the Hungerford with Lethal Force on Saturday – it’s what you dream about.

“It’s our second Group One. Gilt Edge Girl won the Abbaye for us, but to have a two-year-old Group One winner is something special.

“I would think the Middle Park (Newmarket, October 13) would be the logical next step but we’ll see how he comes out of this.”