Fly 'Miss Helen'
We headed into the weekend in good form having had a couple of nice winners during the week - The very plucky THANK YOU NEXT won at Kempton on Wednesday on just her second start in the hands of Pat Dobbs for owners Middleham Park. She rallied strongly inside the final furlong to get up in the dying strides. She will definitely have more to offer up in trip and she looks a promising sort. Friday saw the lovely MAFIA POWER score up at Haydock for King Power Racing. We have always liked this son of Gleneagles and after a string of solid runs it was great to see him get his head in front and he did so in some style winning by four and a half lengths eased down in the hands of Silvestre De Sousa.
Onto Saturday where we had an across card treble. At Newbury we had FLY MISS HELEN making her racecourse debut under Sean Levey for owner Robert Tyrrell. She was well fancied and we were all delighted to see her fly home in striking fashion to win by 2 1/4 lengths under hands and heals riding. She looks to be a really smart filly with an exciting future ahead of her which is very apt given her namesake. She is named after the P-51D Mustang 'Miss Helen' - the last original 352nd Fighter Group P-51 known to exist. The 352 fighter group flew 60,000 combat hours in just 19 months of WWII and 'Miss Helen' is one of the Mustangs that escorted the B-17 bombers to the marshalling yards in Dresden on April 17th 1945. This infamous blue nosed Mustang is remarkably still in flying condition today and she is owned by Robert Tyrrell the owner of our winner Fly Miss Helen.
This was followed up by a brilliant double up at Haydock - both ridden by our apprentice Thore Hammer Hansen which took his winning tally up to 50 reducing his claim down to 3lbs. FANCY MAN won on his racecourse debut for owner Mr Michael Pescod staying on best in the tough going conditions to take up the running in the last 110 yards to win by half a length. QAYSAR brought up the across card treble to win the class 2 handicap for Al Shaqab Racing making it his eighth win of his career so far. Held together by Thore at the rear of the field he travelled strongly throughout the race and when asked to extend he went clear in a matter of strides to win by over four lengths.