Richard Fahey confident he has Sootability to land Beverley jackpot

TOP trainer Richard Fahey says the lure of big prize-money was too good to resist when he saddles Sootability in Beverley’s feature race today.
beverley hosts one of its feature meetings of the year today.beverley hosts one of its feature meetings of the year today.
beverley hosts one of its feature meetings of the year today.

Malton-based Fahey sends a strong team to the Westwood, and holds seven live chances of adding to his exemplary record at the East Yorkshire circuit.

And last month’s Royal Ascot-winning trainer has high hopes for Sootability in the D&P Palletways Delivery Fillies’ Handicap which is worth £25,000.

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“It’s a competitive race for Sootability, and she’ll need to up her game to win it, but it’s a decent amount of prize-money and we’re happy to have a go,” he said.

Elarqam ridden by Jim Crowley (centre) on their way to victory at Sandown for Middleham trainer Mark Johnston.Elarqam ridden by Jim Crowley (centre) on their way to victory at Sandown for Middleham trainer Mark Johnston.
Elarqam ridden by Jim Crowley (centre) on their way to victory at Sandown for Middleham trainer Mark Johnston.

Sootability faces five rivals in the eight-and-a-half-furlong test, including the mighty Kylie Rules, who has won four times from four starts at Beverley this year, and the hat-trick-seeking Big Hearted.

Fahey is hoping for a brisk start to the Big Saturday Raceday at Beverley when he goes into battle with Lion’s Vigil and Typsy Toad in the opener.

He said: “Both Lion’s Vigil and Typsy Toad could be horses for handicaps a little further down the line.

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“I’d be pleasantly surprised if either of them were able to win a novice, to be honest, but I’ve been surprised before.”

Fahey is perhaps sweeter on the claims of Istanbul, who runs in the second contest on the card.

“He’s a colt I really like. He just over-raced a little bit first time out when third at Ripon last month,” he said.

“I’d like to think he’ll go on to prove himself to be pretty smart.

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“The form of his debut run isn’t bad and it’ll be good to see if he can settle better now.”

The in-form trainer is then responsible for Requinto Dawn in the five-furlong handicap.

He said: “Slowly but surely the handicapper has given him a chance and dropping back to five furlongs I don’t think will bother him.

“I think the track will suit and I’ve been quite happy with him lately in his home-work.

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“He looks like he’s coming back to a bit of form and runs from a career-low mark of 68.”

Later on the card, Fahey saddles Indomeneo before the John Dance-owned Ivory Charm contests the fillies handicap.

“She’s in the sales next week, but she’s honest and she tries,” he added.

Gates open at 11.30am with the going good to firm and sunny intervals forecast.

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Meanwhile, Yorkshire-born William Haggas is struggling to split Dramatic Queen and Klassique in today’s Lancashire Oaks, the feature race at Haydock.

Klassique won a Group Three on her most recent outing in heavy ground over the same course and distance, while Dramatic Queen got back on the winning trail at York over an extra couple of furlongs.

“I can’t really split them, I gave Danny (Tudhope) the choice and it took him a hell of a long time to chose Klassique,” said Haggas.

“One would probably prefer slower ground (Klassique) and the other probably wants further, so we shall see.

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“Looking at Klassique’s breeding she shouldn’t necessarily need it soft, she’s quite wiry and there’s not much of her.

“They are both very genuine, try like hell and really get stuck in. They’ve both won a Group Three and deserve a step up in class.”

Dramatic Queen just wore down John Gosden’s Enbihaar on the Knavesmire and the two meet again with connections of Enbihaar hoping the drop in trip is in her favour.

“It was a strange one at York, I think she’d been in front long enough,” said Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.

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Mark Johnston’s highly-regarded Elarqam continued to look more like the finished article when making his class count with a tenacious success at Sabndown yesterday.

In a race not run to suit the four-year-old, he successfully defied a penalty to claim his second Listed success of the season in the mile-and-a-quarter prize.

Middleham-based Johnston said: “We think he is getting a bit better for racing.” On future targets, he added: “We will maybe look at the York Stakes now.”