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- Seventh Heaven impresses at Newmarket
Seventh Heaven impresses at Newmarket
Seventh Heaven
© Photo Healy Racing
Seventh Heaven set herself up for a crack at the Coronation Cup with an emphatic victory in the Dunaden Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket.
Winner of the Irish and Yorkshire Oaks last season, Aidan O'Brien's filly had the benefit of a good run in Meydan in March and fairly trounced this Group Two opposition.
Sent off the 4-7 favourite, Seventh Heaven pulled clear under Ryan Moore in the final quarter-mile to beat French raider One Foot In Heaven by five lengths.
O'Brien said: "She's a lovely mare. We know she gets a mile and a half well and she loves good ground or better and she's progressing all the time.
"We came here today with one eye on the Coronation Cup. We tried to get a run in between and this race might work for her. We were delighted with her in Dubai and this race was lovely."
As well as taking the Qipco 2000 Guineas with the O'Brien-trained Churchill, Moore also struck on Permian (5-2) for Mark Johnston in the Listed Havana Gold Newmarket Stakes.
Runner-up to the highly-regarded Cracksman on his previous start, Permian stretched away in the closing stages to score by four and a half lengths from Speedo Boy.
Johnston said:"Ryan Moore said he stayed every inch of it. To be honest, we didn't really think he was stakes level yet, although he is rated 101 so he was never far away from it.
"It's possible we will see him before Ascot. Whether he will go to York or he might come back for a 10-furlong race back her.
"My hunch is that it is a big jump from 10 furlongs to a mile and six furlongs and my hunch is he is going to go for the King Edward VII rather than the Queen's Vase."
Danielsflyer overcame a 261-day absence to spring a 25-1 surprise in the Hot Streak Handicap.
The action was down the centre of the course as Silvestre de Sousa rode a patient race on David Barron's Dandy Man colt.
Top weight Eqtiraan was the only threat at the business end of the race with Danielsflyer coming home strongly to claim the prize.
John Elliott, part-owner of the winner, said: "I would have been very disappointed if he was not in the frame today.
"That's the plan now, to go to York on June 17. We brought him here partly to see if he was a six or seven-furlong horse."