The fact Andrew Balding’s stable has truly hit form was demonstrated by Side Glance’s runaway victory in the Britain’s Got Talent Paradise Stakes at Ascot.
A progressive handicapper who carries the famous Mill Reef colours, now belonging to the Kingsclere Racing Club, Side Glance was heavily backed into 100-30 after appearing all the better for his third-place finish in the Leicestershire Stakes and so it proved in this Listed race as he powered six lengths clear under Jimmy Fortune.
“He’s hard to gauge at home and it turned out he needed the run at Leicester. That was really impressive and I think he’ll get a mile and a quarter. The obvious next run would be in the Diomed Stakes but I’m not sure Epsom would be his track,” explained Balding.
“I can think of a couple of options in Canada and another in Germany and maybe the Summer Mile back here. We’ll have to have a think.”
Miss Work Of Art gave champion jockey Paul Hanagan his first winner of the new season at Lingfield last month and she provided him with his 28th at the Berkshire venue.
The presence of 1-4 favourite Magic City in the Aldermore Conditions Stakes made this a different proposition for the Richard Fahey-trained Miss Work Of Art (5-1) and she looked to be struggling alongside him with a couple of furlongs to run. But she started to move better and better and eventually defeated the jolly by a length and three-quarters.
Mel Roberts, winning part-owner, said: “We came here hoping we might have a nice racehorse and I think we’ve got one now. The obvious next place to go is a Listed race at the York Dante meeting (the Marygate Stakes). That’s local for us, and we’ll take it from there.”
For Magic City, assistant trainer Richard Hannon junior said: “We’ll have to avoid that filly now and go for the National Stakes, and then the Norfolk.”
The theme of upsets continued into the X Factor EBF Stakes. Emma’s Gift was 16-1, despite some good juvenile form, due to the fact she is from the small yard of Julia Feilden and had not really impressed on her recent reappearance. But she came with a strong finish under Adam Beschizza to deprive fellow outsider Metropolitain Miss.
“This is amazing – her owner Emma Raffan came on a tour to our stable and fell in love with her so her husband secretly bought her as a 40th birthday present,” said Feilden. “She has done us proud and I’d love her to come back for Royal Ascot. I’ll have to get the programme book out now!”
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