Ascension on the upgrade towards fillies' Classic
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Your support makes all the difference.Two fillies staked their claim for next year's 1,000 Guineas yesterday as Brian Meehan's Freefourracing won the Prestige Stakes at Goodwood and Mick Channon's Ascension landed the Prix du Calvados at Deauville.
Two fillies staked their claim for next year's 1,000 Guineas yesterday as Brian Meehan's Freefourracing won the Prestige Stakes at Goodwood and Mick Channon's Ascension landed the Prix du Calvados at Deauville.
It was Channon's charge who impressed the bookmakers most, earning a 25-1 quote from William Hill for the Newmarket Classic after coming with a strong swoop under Cash Asmussen to gain an easy win. Ascension, who started at odds of 19-10, is now unbeaten in three races, having won a Leopardstown maiden and the Rosebowl Stakes at Newbury.
Channon, whose Talaash had set himself up for a tilt at the St Leger with victory in the Grand Prix de Clairefontaine at the neighbouring track to Deauville 24 hours earlier, was not in Normandy to see the victory but Asmussen said: "She is a very professional filly and I think she will get further than seven furlongs."
Meehan, who last week landed the Group One Prix Morny at Deauville with Bad As I Wanna Be, followed up yesterday with a Group Three success at the Sussex course through Freefourracing who is now 33-1 for the 1,000 with William Hill.
Summer Symphony looked to have stolen the race when she hit the front over a furlong out on the bridle but Freefourracing, under an inspired ride from Richard Quinn, suddenly picked up and finished fast to snatch victory at 8-1 by a neck.
Meehan said: "She scoped badly after the Cherry Hinton but had been moving well at home and came here fancied. I'm sure she will get a mile."
Channon was also on the mark at Goodwood with Cauda Equina and landed the maiden fillies' stakes with There's Two. "It has been a great day for us," the West Ilsley trainer said. "There's Two is a lovely filly and she didn't have a hard race."
At Deauville, with John Gosden's Commander Collins withdrawn from the Grand Prix de Deauville, British hopes rested with the Sir Michael Stoute's Little Rock. However the race developed into a sprint finish with Little Rock beaten two and a half lengths into fourth behind 9.1-1 winner Russian Hope.
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