Double Rush Heads One-two For Charlie Hills At HQ

Double Rush led home one-two for trainer Charlie Hills in the curtain-raising bet365 Handicap on Craven Stakes day at Newmarket.


A winner on the all-weather at Wolverhampton little bit over a fortnight earlier, Double Rush was a 9-4 preferred to act on his handicap debut in the hands of Jason Watson and overcame stablemate Bob Mali by a length and a quarter.


Hills stated of the winner: "He won his beginner extremely well in a great time at Wolverhampton and I believe he's going to be a nice, improving three-year-old through the season.


"A few of our horses weren't best last season, so he had a nice mark really. He probably didn't handle the track that well today and a flatter track will suit him much better.


"There's a valuable handicap at York a week or so before Royal Ascot and we might aim him for that, but we'll see how he improves and take it step by action."


John and Thady Gosden rapidly followed up their win in the feature Craven Stakes by saddling Swiss Lightning (2-1 favourite) to take the Rossdales Maiden Fillies' Stakes in figured out fashion.


Double Rush winning the opening race at Newmarket on Wednesday (Mike Egerton/PA)


Making simply her 2nd start, the Lordship Stud of Night Of Thunder revealed a significant mindset to come out on top in an exhilarating three-way finish.


"We provided her an experience of the racecourse at the end of in 2015, however it was heavy ground and she didn't like it, she was a bit weak and the jockey took care of her and she has done well today as it wasn't the plan and there was no speed, it was an untidy race - she looked a bit chewy at an early stage however settled into it.


"That was over 7 and it very much felt like we need to remain at seven and don't go back to 6 and not increase to a mile, so we'll have a great appearance. I wouldn't desire to rush her back from that as she's had a difficult adequate race, however you have actually got to enjoy with her.


"She revealed a fantastic attitude because she struck the front, then wasn't sure what she was meant to be doing, however she didn't provide up. Ryan (Moore, on Richard Hannon's runner-up Stellenbosch) had the rail which's a big benefit with these unskilled fillies."


Stallion Ten Sovereigns had the one-two in the concluding Watch Live Racing At bet365 Handicap as Harry Charlton's Ten Pounds (5-1) saw off Tom Clover's 5-4 preferred Fifty Nifty in the hands of Trevor Whelan.