Peter Moore at Brighton 4th September 2023
Jockey Luke Morris completed a first and third race double at a blisteringly hot Monday afternoon at Brighton.
Morris rode Pop Dancer to victory in the opening race of the afternoon and quickly followed up another winner on board Miss Woo Woo just over an hour later.
Four runners went to post for the opening race on the card, The Racing League On Sky Sports Racing Handicap Stakes for four year olds and upwards.
Top weight Pop Dancer under Morris just managed to hold off the challenge of Secret Handsheikh who was denied a clear run on several occasions according to jockey Darragh Keenan, by a neck to take the win for trainer Tony Carroll who sent the horse from his Cropthorne stables, a distance of 175 miles.
The second race on the card saw five runners go to post with the horse that looked a picture in the paddock Looby giving Saffie Osborne her 53rd winner of the campaign. Despite dwelling at the start, Osborne starting making steady headway three furlongs out before riding clear inside the final furlong to win by two and three quarter lengths.
Morris chalked up his second win of the afternoon on the two year old filly Miss Woo Woo at the odds of 6-1 to win by one and a half lengths from Edergole’s Gift.
The feature race on the card the Ian Carnaby Handicap Stakes was won by the 5-2 shot Voodoo Ray under Shane Kelly for local trainer Gary Moore. A course winner in June, the gelding made all and ran on to win by half a length.
In a pulsating finish to the fifth race of the afternoon, Christian Howarth got the better of second placed Control under Harry Burns, with both apprentices going neck for neck with Angel On High taking the honours by a short head.
Trainer at the moment Adam West almost had a winner in the penultimate race of the day when his nine year old Lord Clenaghcastle pushed eventual winner Oh So Audacious inside the final 110 yards, before just losing out by a head.
Keenan was successful in the last when the 5-4 favourite prevailed by a length from the Brett Johnson trained Dulcet Spirit.