Tag Archive for: Pam Sly

Astral Beau booked for Dahlia date

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Astral Beau will be pitched into Group Two company this weekend, with trainer Pam Sly hoping the handicapper is proved correct.

The four-year-old Brazen Beau filly has been hiked 21lb to a mark of 107 after taking the Listed Doncaster Mile by four lengths and now goes up in trip for the Howden Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket on Sunday.

Sly, who part-owned and trained Astral Beau’s 1000 Guineas-winning granddam Speciosa, has seen Astral Beau win five of her 10 career starts, including three victories at Newmarket last term.

The trainer hopes there will be enough ease in the ground ahead of a possible clash with the Godolphin pair of Life In Motion and With The Moonlight, as well as Falmouth winner Prosperous Voyage, in the nine-furlong event.

“She’d have a chance if it rains,” said Sly. “She likes juice in the ground. All her form is on good to soft or soft ground. The whole family need it – all things from Speciosa, they all need that.

“I think the handicapper thinks she has a chance by putting her up 21lb! There is nothing I can do about it – it’s how life is.

“She won at the beginning of the season when it was wet and then towards the end she won three, again when the ground was a bit easier.

“I haven’t got plans beyond this weekend, that’s the trouble. I have to see what happens on Sunday and go from there and see what I can find.

“I shall not try to keep her fit all the time if there is nothing to run her in, but I think she’ll stay. It’s only another furlong. As long as it rains, you know I’ll be there with a chance.”

Sly, who trains at Thorney in Cambridgeshire, does have clearer focus for Wintercrack.

She caused a 20-1 surprise when downing Baaeed’s half-brother Naqeeb, who was third when making his debut in a 10-furlong maiden at Leicester on Friday.

Wintercrack/Leicester
Wintercrack will head to Chester next week (Adam Morgan/PA)

Wintercrack, a daughter of Speciosa, made all in testing conditions under Kieran O’Neill and the Cracksman filly will now have her sights raised with a trip to Chester planned next Wednesday.

“The first time I ran her, as a two-year-old, she was drawn very wide at Southwell and on Thursday night she was a 150-1 shot,” Sly added.

“But again, that’s weather-related. She likes the soft ground. I’m actually going to put her in the Cheshire Oaks (May 10) – I must be mad, mustn’t I?

“She’s fine and I’m going to step her up a furlong and a bit.”

Baaeed’s half-brother Naqeeb beaten on Leicester debut

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Naqeeb, half-brother to the mighty Baaeed, was third on his racecourse bow in the Rekorderlig Premium Fruit Cider Maiden Stakes at Leicester.

The three-year-old is by Nathaniel and out of the mare Aghareed, the same Shadwell-owned dam who produced the superb seven-time Group One scorer.

Also trained by William Haggas, Naqeeb runs in the same silks of Sheikha Hissa’s breeding and racing operation and was the 5-4 favourite under Jim Crowley when taking to the track for the first time.

Hard work over 10 furlongs on soft ground he was third, beaten six and a quarter lengths behind Pam Sly’s Wintercrack and Ryan Potter’s Fazayte.

Shadwell’s Richard Hills said: “He just got very tired quickly in that ground.

Naqeeb prior to his racecourse debut
Naqeeb prior to his racecourse debut (Adam Morgan/PA)

“He needs better ground, it’s holding and it’s his first time out.

“William’s (horses) will come on for their first run. We’ve been struggling to get on the grass at Newmarket and today, with that holding ground, it just caught him out.”

Sly’s winner was a 20-1 chance in the hands of Kieran O’Neill after two heavily-beaten efforts previously, but defied those odds in good style from the front.

Wintercrack is by Sly’s Speciosa, winner of the 1000 Guineas in 2006 and whose bloodline the trainer has been successfully cultivating since.

“She’ll get a handicap mark now, she’ll only be in the high 60s, they wouldn’t do anything else as she’s had some bad runs,” said Sly.

Wintercrack with connections
Wintercrack with connections (Adam Morgan/PA)

“I don’t know why they gave her such a lead. That Kieran’s jolly good, isn’t he?

“All the family from Speciosa, they all want a bit of give, all of them.

“I’ve got them ready early so I could get them out, but they’ll all probably have to have a break in the summer and then come back in the autumn.”

Pam Sly targeting Dahlia Stakes with Astral Beau

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Newmarket’s Dahlia Stakes could await for Pam Sly’s homebred Doncaster Mile winner Astral Beau.

The four-year-old had won four times last season but was still trailing the colts and geldings on ratings as her mark of 86 left her 18lb behind her nearest-ranked rival.

That divide in estimation did not replicate itself on the track, where Astral Beau made light work of the heavy ground to come home four lengths ahead of Michael Dods’ Brunch with the rest well spaced out behind her.

A step up to Group Two level is now under consideration for the daughter of Brazen Beau, with Sly pencilling her in for the Dahlia Stakes over a mile and a furlong at the Newmarket Guineas meeting.

The trainer said: “I’m thinking of the Dahlia at Newmarket on May 7, we might have a go at that over nine furlongs because I think she’ll stay.

Astral Beau winning at Doncaster
Astral Beau winning at Doncaster (Nigel French/PA)

“She didn’t pull up until she got to Rose Hill the other day! It will be interesting to see what handicap mark she gets.

“When she gets to the last 100 yards, she starts to go away from them then. She’s done that in her other races, she gets there and you don’t know if she’s going to win and then all of a sudden she’s gone away again. It’s a lot of fun.”

Soft ground will be essential to the filly’s participation throughout the season, with Sly striking early in the term and expecting to let her homebred sit out the summer months when the going is at its quickest.

“She does need a bit of give in the ground, everything revolves around that I think,” she said.

“I knew she was behind the boys, but it will be interesting to see where she goes as long as it keeps raining!

Astral Beau at Newmarket last season
Astral Beau at Newmarket last season (John Walton/PA)

“That’s why I’ve had them ready early, all of mine like the dig in the ground so I had her ready to go early and she’ll have to go on a holiday in the summer.”

The filly is from the family of Sly’s 1000 Guineas winner Speciosa, who triumphed in the Classic in 2006 and then produced a Sea The Stars mare called Asteroidea – the dam of Astral Beau.

The bloodline is one Sly continues to cultivate as Eileendover, a Listed bumper winner by Canford Cliffs, is also a granddaughter of Speciosa as she is out of the mare Specialty – dam of three runners who have all won races.

Of Astral Beau, Sly said: “She’s from the Speciosa line, from Speciosa’s second daughter – the Sea The Stars mare Asteroidea. The first daughter, the Oasis Dream one (Specialty), she’s bred a Listed winner as well in Eileendover and now the second daughter has also bred a Listed winner.

“We’ve got a Teofilo mare as well, Vernatti, she hasn’t had a runner yet but she’s got one to go this time, a three-year-old.

Speciosa winning the 1000 Guineas
Speciosa winning the 1000 Guineas (Chris Radburn/PA)

“If you’re a bit nerdy, it’s very much a fillies’ family. If you look back through Speciosa, there’s (three-time Group One winner) Pride through that line, there’s just a load of good fillies.”

The family also produced ex-James Ferguson runner Mise En Scene, sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and out of Specifically, a sister to Speciosa.

Sly said: “There was a filly who ran in America in November time who finished sixth and she was out of Gadfly, who is a sister to Speciosa.

“It’s very much a fillies’ family and I find that quite interesting.”

Pam Sly strikes Doncaster Mile gold with Astral Beau

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Pam Sly is no stranger to pulling the odd rabbit out of a hat and she managed it again when Astral Beau bolted up in the Pertemps Network Doncaster Mile.

With morning favourite Simon and Ed Crisford’s unbeaten Poker Face a non-runner due to the testing conditions, the Listed contest had an open look to it, but Astral Beau was sent off a bigger price than all bar one of the others runners at 9-1.

Hollie Doyle set the tempo on Tempus, but looked a sitting duck as Tacarib Bay loomed up on the outside entering the final two furlongs.

However, Rob Hornby had every move covered on the filly Astral Beau, who won three of her final four outings last season.

Despite that progress, she was still only rated 86, by some way the lowest in the race, but some bold thinking by Sly paid off and she now has another very valuable filly on her hands given she is from the same family as her 1000 Guineas winner Speciosa.

Hornby clearly was not thinking of any further handicaps, driving her out to win by four lengths from Brunch.

“I expected it to be honest but you probably think I’m big-headed in saying that,” said Sly.

Trainer Pam Sly
Trainer Pam Sly (Julian Herbert/PA)

“She improved so much at the end of last season and she loved the soft ground.

“The ground is important but we thought she’d improved at home. Shane Kelly had been in a couple of times to ride her and said as much.

“I don’t know what we’ll do now, we’ve nowhere else to run her as all the other races were 0-100 or something so I thought we may as well come here and have a go – and it’s paid off.”

Hornby said: “That was remarkable as nothing went to plan really. I was supposed to get cover but I got left on the wing and I was always over-racing.

“When you have a horse like her who goes on this ground it makes such a difference – it felt like good ground on her.

“She improved a lot last year and to beat horses rated so superior to her, she must have a bright future.”

Sly keeping watch as ex-inmate Cadeau aims for Leopardstown honours

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Pam Sly will be a keen observer when former pupil Special Cadeau tackles the Future Stars (C & G) I.N.H. Flat Race at Leopardstown on Saturday.

The son of Nathaniel was bred, owned and trained by Sly in his formative years, making a winning debut in a Huntingdon bumper for the Singlecote handler as a three-year-old in November 2021 before transferring to Willie Mullins after being sold for £220,000 the following month.

Now owned by the Clipper Logistics Group, the five-year-old made an eye-catching debut for his new Closutton training team in the Leopardstown bumper won by Thomas Mullins’ Fascile Mode over the Christmas period.

Backed into 9-2 for that contest, he was ridden from the front and put up a likeable display before fading into third late on.

However, the front three were well clear of the rest of the field and Sly is looking forward to seeing how the strapping gelding progresses for the master of Closutton.

She said: “I do keep an eye on him. He’s a nice horse and I hope they have a lot of fun with him.

Special Cadeau (grey, rear) finishes third to Fascile Mode (centre) in the Plusvital INH Flat Race during day four of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival at Leopardstown Racecourse
Special Cadeau (grey, rear) finishes third to Fascile Mode (centre) in the Plusvital INH Flat Race during day four of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival at Leopardstown Racecourse (Niall Carson/PA)

“I did say to Willie Mullins that I thought he could win on the Flat because he was big, he was about 17 hands.

“I thought he ran quite well when he was third at Leopardstown over Christmas. They front-ran with him and his outside ear was flicking the whole time, but the others were well behind, including the favourite.

“He’ll look after him, won’t he (Mullins), that’s the joy of it.”

Xcitations gives Pam Sly plenty to celebrate at Sandown

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Xcitations jumped with aplomb under Jack Andrews at Sandown to make it four wins from seven over fences.

The Pam Sly-trained gelding drew well clear of joint-favourites Corrigeen Rock and Frero Banbou in the Unibet Horserace Betting Operator Of The Year Handicap Chase.

Sly’s runner had been beaten Elixir De Nutz by a neck on his last run at Doncaster and the runner-up franked that form with an easy success at Wincanton half an hour before flag-fall at Sandown.

Though they all appeared to have a chance three out, Xcitations was always cruising on the outside of Corrigeen Rock.

By the time Grey Diamond unseated when about to challenge two out, 3lb claimer Andrews had the race in the bag and the 7-1 chance came home with nine lengths to spare.

Happy connections with Xcitations
Happy connections with Xcitations (PA)

Xcitations, who received a 20-1 quote from Paddy Power for the Grand Annual at Cheltenham in March, has not been easy to keep sound, as Classic-winning handler Sly explained: “Every time he ran last season he was lame afterwards.

“He won his last two, but it wasn’t until the third lot of X-rays that we discovered he had fractured his pedal bone.

“He’s a nice horse and I’ve always thought that, but as to the future, well I’m not keen on going to Cheltenham.

“We bought the mare in Ireland and there are two more of her foals to run, by Telescope and Dartmouth.

“When I saw he was 16-1 in the betting last night I couldn’t believe it.”

I Have a Voice was a surprise winner
I Have a Voice was a surprise winner (Steven Paston/PA)

I Have A Voice was put into a handicap on his last run following a runaway Southwell Juvenile Maiden Hurdle success and was well held.

Back down into calmer waters of the two-mile Unibet Extra Places Every Day Juvenile Hurdle, the Nigel Hawke-trained Vocalised four-year-old proved much too good for his three rivals.

The Molly and Paul Willis-owned I Have A Voice, sent off a 17-2 chance, made all the running and drew clear between the last two flights under 3lb claimer Tom Buckley.

He went on to score by 17 lengths from Mombasa, with Gary Moore’s 4-11 favourite Bo Zenith a bitterly disappointing third, having been under pressure approaching the second-last.

Hawke said: “At the end of the day we can’t do any more than win, he’s a fit horse that knew his job, he’s genuine and he jumps.

I Have a Voice and jockey Tom Buckley caused an upset in the opener
I Have a Voice and jockey Tom Buckley caused an upset in the opener (Steven Paston/PA)

“Let’s get him back (home) and see what the handicapper does. He will need to go up if he’s going to Cheltenham, but what I would say is he wants this (soft) ground.”

Connections of Bo Zenith, who arrived at the Horsham yard on the back of an impressive win at Auteuil in a race where the form had worked out well, were left scratching their heads.

Moore said: “Jamie (Moore) said he needed the run but was generally disappointing.

“He did have a setback and maybe I’ve rushed him to get him here, thinking he could win when he’s 80 per cent fit?

“He’s grown since he arrived at the yard and I might not have done enough with him. He’s a big, raw horse who has never been away and done a gallop.

“With hand on heart, I think you can draw a line through that run.”

Certainly Red, dropped in trip, followed up his Wincanton success over three miles and a furlong, outstaying his rivals in the Read Nicky Henderson’s Unibet Blog Handicap Chase.

The drop to two and a half miles proved no detriment to the lightly-raced nine-year-old, who stalked long-time leader Gemirande and Precious Elanor, before jockey Marc Goldstein made his move after the Pond Fence and took it up at the penultimate obstacle.

Though running down the final obstacle, the Lydia Richards-trained and bred 9-1 shot quickly galloped clear of Gemirande to score by six and a half lengths.

Richards said: “The owners (Venetian Lad Partnership) go back to Double M, who won 13 races, and I have two older brothers of this fellow, Good News and Venetian Lad, and they won nine races each.

“I knew he would stay the two and a half (miles) as the weather went our way when it rained this morning.

“At the bottom of the hill I knew he would stay and nothing would come to get him from the back.

“In fact, he can bounce off better ground because he’s so genuine, and he goes on anything.”