Rainbow Dreamer secures Marathon gold medal
Hollie Doyle got on the scoresheet at Newcastle as she guided Rainbow Dreamer to victory in the BetUK All-Weather Marathon Championships Conditions Stakes.
Alan King’s 10-year-old has been an ever-present in long-distance events on the synthetics and he was notching up his 13th career success and sixth with Doyle in the saddle.
Anchored towards the rear as Withhold and defending champion Earlofthecotswolds set a blistering pace, Doyle was able to slowly ease her mount into the contest and the Barbury Castle veteran was able to come into his own in the closing stages as he pulled out extra to hold off Olly Murphy’s Fleurman.
🗣 "Staying races at Newcastle – Hollie Doyle has a knack of winning them!" 😁
Rainbow Dreamer edges out Fleurman in the BetUK All-Weather Marathon Championships Conditions Stakes 🥇#ITVRacing | @NewcastleRaces | @HollieDoyle1 pic.twitter.com/o88jSTcIuT
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 7, 2023
It was third time lucky for the 10-1 winner, who had finished fifth in the All-Weather Championships Finals Day contest 12 months ago and fourth in 2021 when the race was held at Lingfield.
For Doyle it was a third success since returning from the elbow injury she suffered in January and she was delighted to pick up another big staying pot at Gosforth Park having won the Northumberland Plate aboard the King-trained Trueshan last summer.
She said: “He’s an old legend, he’s 10 now and it seems like I’ve been riding him since I was an apprentice.
“Unfortunately I missed him this winter as I was away (in Japan and then injured), so it is very good of Alan and the owners to put me back on.
“I know there was loads of pace on and for a stayer he is a horse who can travel a bit, so I was never too worried. I got there too soon really but he deserved to win a big one today.
“I’m really lucky. I’ve been out for a while but thankfully this one was waiting for me when I got back.
“He’s run in this race a few times and he’s been knocking on the door, he’s very consistent. I think the strong pace helped him in the end.
“We’ve had a fair bit of luck up here together, with Trueshan winning the Plate.”
Murphy felt Fleurman had simply been beaten by a superior rival on the day, but some big Flat prizes remain in his sights.
He said: “He ran an absolute cracker. He has been seriously progressive on the all-weather. They went a good gallop and I thought he would win a furlong down, but Alan’s horse just kept going and we couldn’t get by him.
“We were second best on the day, but he ran an absolute belter. Whether we look at a Northumberland Plate back here or Royal Ascot, I am not sure, but he’s a progressive horse and hopefully his progression hasn’t stopped yet.”
