Franklin D storms home to win Nexus Stakes at Newmarket
Franklin D, left, won at Newmarket on Saturday - Credit: PA Wire/Press Association Images
Trainer Michael Bell made it six winners in a week when his Franklin D stormed home by six lengths to win the £45,000 Nexus Infrastructure Handicap Stakes under in-form jockey James McDonald at Newmarket’s July course on Saturday.
Always with the leaders, Franklin D, wearing a hood for the second time, charged clear to reward 7/2 favourite backers and leave Bell and owner Bill Gredley beaming from ear to ear.
“That’s the fourth day in a row I’ve had a winner. We were having our share of seconds and thirds but now they are winning.
“It was a very good performance and we might look to the Betfred Mile for him at Glorious Goodwood,” said the Newmarket trainer.
“This horse has been running well and he works well. I hope he can win again,” said Gredley.
“James liked him and said it was a good performance although he said he would be even better on a flatter track,” added the owner. “I wasn’t surprised he won but I was surprised by how far he won.”
A close second at Sandown five weeks ago, Franklin D is clearly a progressive four-year-old and victory was his first of the season in what was his fifth start.
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The success completed a 21/1 double for McDonald who had scored on Silver Rainbow in the previous race.
Paddy Power, immediately put Franklin D in as the 10/1 favourite for the Betfred Mile at Goodwood, the colt having earlier been 20/1.
Top weight Hors De Combat, under Oisin Murphy for trainer James Fanshawe, was runner-up with last year’s runner-up, Ifwecan, in third under Pat Cosgrave for Martin Smith.
Grey filly Silver Rainbow completed a quick double of her own when taking the EBF Breeders’ Series Fillies’ Handicap over six furlongs, rewarding favourite backers at 4/1.
Ridden by McDonald and trained by Charlie Hills, the filly, out of 2010 Royal Ascot winner Starspangled-banner, surged through inside the final furlong to win by almost three lengths from runner-up David’s Duchess and hat-trick seeker Guishan.
Silver Rainbow was following up after scoring at Newbury two weeks earlier and she is very much a four-year-old in form
“Since being in foal to Cable Bay she has improved so much. Being in foal has made a big difference. She has become much more relaxed as a result,” said owner Richard Tufft.
He hoped there would be one more race in Silver Rainbow before she had to ‘go on maternity leave’.
McDonald, the Kiwi currently in the country to cover for Godolphin while William Buick serves a 30-day ban, then completed a tremendous 35/1 treble when Godolphin’s Trenches took the Greenall’s Gin Maiden Stakes for trainer Charlie Appleby.
In a tight finish, Trenches, making his debut, just got home by a head to reward 15/8 favourite backers.
He held on from the other 15/8 joint favourite, William Haggas’s In The City under Pat Cosgrave, with 66/1 outsider Lord of the North running on to finish third for Darryll Holland and trainer Gay Kelleway.
