Ghost Run (left) and Oisin Murphy © Photo Healy Racing
Ghost Run got Oisin Murphy off to a flying start at this year’s St Leger Festival at Doncaster with a determined victory in the British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Nursery.
The three-time champion jockey is out on his own in this year’s title race with a lead of more than 40 winners over Tom Marquand, and has a strong book of rides for the first two days of action on Town Moor before he jets out to Canada to ride at Woodbine on Saturday.
Ghost Run was a 5-1 shot for Doncaster’s curtain-raiser, dropping back into a handicap after finishing eighth in a valuable sales race at York three weeks ago.
A daughter of trainer Andrew Balding’s 2000 Guineas hero Kameko, Murphy’s mount battled her way to the front before knuckling down to see off Oolong Poobong and Griselda by a neck and a head respectively.
“She’s very tough and a great example of her sire Kameko with her attitude to life,” said Murphy.
The winning trainer’s wife Anna-Lisa Balding added: “Andrew was quite confident this morning and she’s a lovely filly. Andrew had a lot of luck with her half-sister Nymphadora as well and being by Kameko, it’s great for us – it’s a real Kingsclere story.
“She’s not very big, but she’s got a huge heart and really wanted it.”
Grey Cuban (10-1) continued his profitable campaign by landing the Pertemps Network Handicap in the hands of Jamie Spencer.
Hugo Palmer’s charge won twice on his local track of Chester in July and was not beaten far when sixth in a valuable sprint handicap at York on his most recent outing.
Always up with the pace, Grey Cuban answered his rider’s every call to reel in T’Challa before kicking a length and a quarter clear.
Mike Edwards, racing manager for owners Roudee Racing, said: “We were hopeful of a really good run. He’s just an honest, straightforward horse really that needs to be ridden up with the pace.
“For a syndicate horse, he’s just amazing. We’re local to Chester, we’ve got six horses with Hugo at the moment and we’ll probably look to get four or five more next year.
“It will be down to Hugo where he goes, but he continues to improve and he loves soft ground.”
William Haggas and Tom Marquand combined to claim top honours in the Hilton Garden Inn Doncaster Racecourse Nursery with 13-2 chance Yaroogh.
The Dubawi colt came up short when bidding to complete a hat-trick in what looked a red-hot renewal of the Acomb Stakes at York, but proved up to the task back in handicap company as he dug deep to see off the challenge of Spell Master by a neck.
“He went to the Acomb but that was a tough race. Obviously he was beaten a long way but things didn’t go to plan and didn’t really suit him and I was quite keen today to be forward on him to give him some space,” said Marquand.
“I was fortunate I was left alone in front to be able to get him to relax and he did really well to battle them off.”
The David Evans-trained Harmonia (10-1) notched her third win of the season in the Christmas Live @themovies At Doncaster Racecourse Nursery.
Winning jockey Richard Kingscote said: “She was tough and she had to be. She pricked her ears in front, got in a nice rhythm and toughed it out well.
“She’s been doing well to be fair to her. She moved well on the way down. I was a bit unsure whether the ground might be a bit slow for her, but she’s very straightforward.”
The Winners Wear Skopes Menswear Handicap brought the eight-race card to a close and victory went to 10-3 favourite Kildare Legend for James Ferguson and Daniel Muscutt.
