Streets Of Gold well named in valuable sprint

Streets Of Gold may not have been in love with the soft ground in the Curragh but he still maintained his unbeaten record and landed a massive pot in the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes.

He took a record of three from three across the Irish Sea which led to him going off at 11/8 favourite for this extended six furlong sprint.

Charles Bishop pushed him into the lead over a furlong out and his mount toughed it out by a length after edging left. He came in by a length from Tostado (2/1) who was a nose in front of Dandy Alys (9/2). This gave Britain a one-two-three in this race worth €300,000 (winning share of €150,000).

Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton said: “Charlie said he hated the ground and never really went a yard in it, but I thought he was always going to get there.

“Just when he got to the front he found it a bit hard work, but surprisingly I was quite confident.

“You wouldn't know he was in the yard. Any kid can ride him and when we started working him any kid did ride him because I thought that he wasn't very good and he doesn't do anything.

“I found the worst race in England, at Chepstow, for him to win. He fell out of the stalls and he won going away and I thought 'maybe you are a bit better than I think you are'.

“He just doesn't work well at home, he never has, so it's hard to know what you've got.

“Obviously he's never encountered soft ground, we haven't had any. I wouldn't say he loved it but he handled it.

“The sale has been very lucky and we found Tout Seul and Beaver Patrol and had a rake load of success out of it.

“It's a great sale for my sort of trainer. I buy my horses with Anthony Bromley, from Highflyer Bloodstock, and we've gotten better at him knowing what I like and me knowing what he buys. It's going really well.”

The Stewards enquired into an incident inside the final furlong involving Streets Of Gold, ridden by C. Bishop, and Dandy Alys, ridden by R. Hornby where it appeared that Streets Of Gold drifted into the path of Dandy Alys which checked. Evidence was heard from the riders concerned. In his evidence, R. Hornby stated that Streets Of Gold quickened better but caused his own mount to switch when crossed and received interference. C. Bishop stated that his mount was lugging left towards his challenger but he kept his hands on the reins and thought that he was clear when allowing his mount drift to the rails racing to the finish. Having viewed the recording of the race and considered the evidence, the Stewards found that C. Bishop was in breach of Rule 214 in that he had ridden carelessly, and having considered his record in this regard, the Stewards suspended him for two racedays.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson