Peter Moore at Salisbury 7th September 2023
Ryan Moore and Rossa Ryan both had doubles at Salisbury on one of the hottest afternoons of the year on Thursday.
Moore rode Cambridge and Le Mans to victory whilst Ryan had a double courtesy of Skellet and Just Bring It.
The opening race on a seven race card featured an apprentice handicap as part of the successful Racing Excellence Series that has seen jockeys with whips to be carried but not used.
Power Of Darkness under Mikkel Mortensen defied top weight to win by a neck from Racing Demon.
The eight year old gelding made all the running with at one stage an impressive nine lengths clear before having its lead reduced down to just a furlong, with the challenge of Racing Demon mounting inside the final 110 yards, he just held on to score for trainer Charlie Fellowes.
There was much anticipation in the second race of the meeting with the appearance of the Aidan O’Brien trained Cambridge. The two year old had started of his racing career with a third placed finish at Roscommon 16 days ago.
The horse with Moore on board was set off as the 11-10 favourite. Two furlongs out it was looking comfortable for the Dubawi colt, before having its lead whittled down with a strong challenge from Houstonn under David Egan. Despite being briefly headed inside the final 110 yards under Moore he ran on well to win by a short head with Houstonn one to note.
Favourite backers were rewarded in the third race when Skellet prevailed under Ryan to give Raf Beckett his 100th winner of the season.
The Beckett yard is certainly on fire at the moment, especially with his two year olds and Skellet was another winning horse for Raf with Ryan winning by one and a quarter lengths from Serene Seraph.
Eve Johnson Houghton was a very happy winning trainer in the winners enclosure when Juniper Berries gave the Blewbury trainer a win under Charles Bishop by a narrow short head over Dorothy Lawrence by a short head in the Group 3 The Ire-Incentive It Pays To Buy Irish Dick Poole Fillies Stakes at the nice odds of 16-1.
Johnson Houghton said after Juniper Berries victory she was not used to winning Group 3 races, only used to winning 0-60 rated races.
Oisin Murphy had a winner in the fifth race when Frankness got the better of Al Simmo by a length to give Andrew Balding a winner for owner Jeff Smith.
There was another tight finish in the penultimate race of the afternoon with Ryan and Moore battling it out for first past the post with Ryan riding Just Bring It at 2-1 to win by a short head from Moore on the 5-4 favourite Garden Route.
Moore got his revenge in the last race of the day on Le Mans trained by Richard Hannon after winning going away to win by one and three quarter lengths from Pat Dobbs on Morcar at 14-1.