The Lark takes flight in Park Hill; Turner hospitalized
after spill
On her favored easy ground, 15-8 favorite The Lark bounced back to the form
that brought her third place in the Oaks with an easy victory in Thursday’s
Group 2 Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster. But her performance was overshadowed by a
frightening spill in the stretch, when Seal of Approval clipped heels, fell, and
unseated jockey Hayley Turner.
Turner, who remained conscious and able to move her extremities, was treated
on the spot by the Doncaster Racecourse medical team for about 15 minutes. She
was then transferred by ambulance to Doncaster Royal Infirmary for further
assessment.
Britain’s most successful female jockey, Turner appeared to have no obvious
injuries, and her agent Guy Jewell had encouraging news Thursday evening.
“Hayley will be kept in hospital overnight, but all the X-rays and scans were
clear,” Jewell told Racing Post.
Seal of Approval got to her feet after the fall and appeared unscathed as
well. The Doncaster stewards judged the fall to be an accident.
The Lark’s connections were obviously concerned about Turner’s well being.
“I was aware of the incident,” winning rider Jamie Spencer said. “Hopefully,
Hayley is OK and the horse is OK. I don’t like seeing the black screens as that
usually means trouble.”
“Obviously, it was a desperate thing to happen to Hayley,” The Lark’s trainer
Michael Bell said. “She has been a great friend and I just hope she is all
right.”
Lady Bamford’s homebred The Lark traveled like a dream in her first start
beyond 12 furlongs. Seeing out the extended 1 3/4 miles with ease, she was
barely off the bridle as she glided past Phiz by 1 1/4 lengths, the pair four
lengths clear of Alta Lilea.
“She’s already proven her class,” Spencer said, “and she had her ground.”
It was The Lark’s first race since she finished fifth in the Prix de Malleret
at Saint-Cloud in June, her only race since being beaten 4 1/2 lengths by St
Leger candidate Talent at Epsom.
“There’s been nothing wrong with her,” Bell said. “We’ve just been waiting
for her ground, simple as that, and now she’ll have an autumn campaign. There’s
the Prix de Royallieu on Arc day and the Filly and Mare race on Champions Day,
and it will be either or both.”
The Lark is a three-quarter sister to dual Oaks heroine Sariska. Both are by
Pivotal, and The Lark’s dam, Gull Wing, is a half-sister to Sariska.
Bell added that The Lark is likely to remain in training next year.
“The dam wasn’t any good until she was four,” added Bell, “and Lady Bamford
loves to have a good horse in training, and has the whole family back at the
stud.”
Infamously, both Gull Wing and Sariska ended their careers by refusing to
race, and The Lark has apparently shown some of their temperament.
“She has a little of the family trait,” said Bell, “but she’s very talented.”
Connections of Alta Lilea are looking forward to next season after her
third-place effort to The Lark. The Mark Johnston-trained three-year-old came
back after the race with superficial cuts to her hind legs after she clipped
heels in the home straight with Seal of Approval.
“We’re delighted with that run as she’s been placed in listed company before
but this was a Group 2 and she’s shown she is up to this level,” said Deidre
Johnston, the trainer’s wife.
“Her back legs have come back with superficial cuts which must have happened
in the melee in the home straight. It’s probably not affected her that much but
it’s can’t have helped either.
“We’ll go back home and see how she is but we’re all hoping she’ll be a
better horse with another winter on her back. She’s very nice and we’ll take our
time with her.”
After more than a year without a win, Nargys bounced back to her best to take
the Group 3 Sceptre Stakes earlier at Doncaster. The daughter of Lawman had
shown much promise at two, when she ended her campaign by chasing home Just the
Judge in the Rockfel Stakes, but until Thursday her best effort this year had
been a fourth at listed level at Royal Ascot.
Rider Andrea Atzeni put her improvement down to the easy ground.
“She likes to get her toe in,” he said, “and today she was able to show what
she can do. And seven furlongs is her trip; last time it was six furlongs at
Pontefract on fast ground, no good to her at all.”
Nargys’ trainer Luca Cumani was not present. The three-year-old filly, an 8-1
shot, came home 1 3/4 lengths clear of 25-1 chance Switcher and 11-4 hope
Winning Express, split by a nose. There was a neck back to the fourth Annecdote,
with 15-8 favorite Maureen a short-head away in fifth.
“She settled well, travelled well and picked up well,” added Atzeni. “What
more could I ask? It’s nice to see her back, and I hope she can go on from this.
It will have given her confidence and she was at her best in the autumn last
year.”
There was a shock result in the Weatherbys Hamilton Insurance £300,000
Two-Year-Old Race as 100-1 shot Morning Post dug deep to break his maiden by a
half-length.
The Kevin Ryan-trained colt was having the seventh start of his career and
was largely ignored by punters, given the fact he had finished last in a Haydock
nursery just five days ago.
However, connections opted to fit blinkers to the two-year-old for the first
time and this proved to be an inspired decision as it sparked the requisite
improvement needed in order to land a huge payday.
Jockey Paul Mulrennan was surprised that his mount went off such a big price.
“I got a lovely pitch in behind the leaders. If anything, I probably got
there a bit soon,” said Mulrennan.
“Kevin (Ryan) said to me this morning no way should this horse be 100-1. He
has done some nice bits of work and the blinkers have just done the trick for
him. He has always worked like a nice horse at home but has just been dossing on
the track but he had the blinkers on today for the big pot. He had a look round
today but is only a two-year-old and a big baby. He is a nice horse and going
the right way.”
Joint-owner Matt Morgan was equally delighted for the horse, who was named
after his late father, Ivan. Morgan is no stranger to big-race success, having
won the Gimcrack at York last season with Blaine (also trained by Ryan).
“We’re delighted with this as he was named after my father, Ivan, who was a
postman. Mum will be really happy with that as she’s watching at home. You could
say that the postman has delivered today!
“He has always had ability. He has been in three sales races and Ryan Moore
said after he rode him on Saturday to put the blinkers on him and just bounce
him out and make all. Paul (Mulrennan) said that he’d watched the videos of his
previous races and agreed. That’s what he has gone and done today so happy days!
“When Blaine won the Gimcrack we were hopeful on the day but today we just
came for a day out. This is just an absolute turn-up — though I had a couple of
quid on him on the Tote just in case.”
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