WHISPERING Beauty stayed on well to defy a penalty and looks a useful filly in the making after winning a Novice Stakes at Windsor on Monday, writes Rob Stevens.
The daughter of Arch, a Grade One winner on the dirt in America and whose progeny progress well, was bidding to follow up her first career success at Newmarket last month.
The William Haggas-trained market leader (5-6 favourite) led a half-mile from the finish and was sent for home in the Class 5 event over a mile and a quarter.
The filly was shaken up over a furlong from the finish but stayed on well to beat runner-up Strelka (7-4) by a length and a quarter with 3-1 chance Gallatin out-paced by the leading pair but keeping on for third, beaten over five lengths.
Strelka is a half-sister to Derby winner Workforce and she showed plenty of ability on her racecourse debut. The filly is also a daughter of Kingman, who landed the Irish 2,000 Guinness in four Group One wins in 2014.
The most impressive winner at
Windsorin midweek was High Acclaim, who took a Class 5 Handicap over 10 furlongs by two and three quarter lengths for trainer Roger Teal and champion jockey Silvestre De Sousa.
The gelded son of Elusive Quality, a leading US sire whose progeny progress, was making his sixth career start at the
Berkshire trackwith previous form figures of 34764 and sent off an easy to back 11-4 chance.
High Acclaim closed to take second place entering the home straight and was ridden to lead well over a furlong from the finish, driven clear in the closing stages to beat 9-4 favourite Perfect Refuge.
The winner could bid for a quickfire double having been given an entry in a Handicap at Wolverhampton next Monday (6.50pm).
Racing returns to Windsor this Sunday for a seven race card that gets under way at 2pm and features a Class 3 Handicap over a mile. The entries include course and distance winners Mr Tyrrell and Sash.