Harry Dunlop springs 40-1 surprise with one of his final runners in Group 2

Thursday: Doncaster

Harry Dunlop left the stage with a trick worthy of Harry Houdini as he conjured a 40-1 shock in the Cazoo May Hill Stakes.

The trainer, who is giving up at the end of the season, transformed three-time Class 5 winner Polly Pott into a Classic candidate as she defied a dramatic rise into Group 2 company and won by an authoritative length and a half under Danny Tudhope.

The filly who was racing off a BHA mark of 70 when completing a hat-trick in a six-runner nursery at Salisbury last month earned a quote of 33-1 for the 1,000 Guineas from Unibet and 50-1 for the Oaks from Paddy Power.

"It's quite extraordinary," Dunlop. "She was 100-1 this morning. She's a really tough filly and she's got better and better, but I didn't think she'd do that.

"The softer ground slowed the others down but it's a Group 2 and she's rated 75. We've got to run her again in a Group 1, I don't know which one.

"She cost 21,000gns and she was taking on these frightfully smartly bred things that cost half a million and it's great to beat them.

"Wherever she goes she's going to be a real tough cookie for somebody, she'll probably stay a mile and a half. I hope she'll continue improving."

Asked whether unearthing a Classic filly would cause him to think again about quitting, Dunlop said: "No, I've decided. I think you'd look an idiot if you changed your mind. With my personal circumstances it's a great send-off, it's quite emotional obviously. It's quite surreal but life is a funny old thing, you never quite know."

'It wasn't a fluke'

Mimikyu atoned for her Galtres Stakes disappointment and the possible chance to emulate her sister with a clear-cut success in the Group 2 Coral Park Hill Fillies' Stakes.

After George Strawbridge's three-year-old had won by two and three-quarter lengths from Eshaada under Frankie Dettori, joint trainer John Gosden said: "At York it went wrong, we thought she'd win the Galtres and unfortunately she got stacked wide and pulled very hard.

"We popped the hood on here and she relaxed well and beat a very good filly. It wasn't a fluke. She was coming back to what we knew she was capable of. She's certainly a talented filly and she's only a three-year-old, so there's a lot to look forward to.

"She's in the Prix de Royallieu or she could go for the Group 1 on Champions day that her sister Journey won."

Cold win for hot trainer

Karl Burke landed another big juvenile prize when the gutsy Cold Case battled to a short-head defeat of Alpha Capture in the Weatherby's Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes.

The trainer has now won nearly £900,000 with his two-year-olds in Britain alone this season and his latest winner earned 20-1 quotes for the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes from Paddy Power.

"It's been a brilliant season and I keep saying there are a few nice horses still to come out as well," Burke said. "But he's towards the top of the pile."

The Gimcrack Stakes third fought back well after making the running under Mohammed Obaid's retained jockey Andrea Atzeni.

"He was very gutsy," the trainer said. "I must admit that when the Haggas horse was coming to our girths I thought we were beaten, but he's very game.

"He's a better horse taking a lead early but he winged the gates today and Andrea wasn't going to pull him around if that happened.

"He's a lovely colt and I'm sure he's a Group horse in the making. I'll speak to Andrea and the owner, but today was a big prize and a big target.

"There is plenty of stamina on the dam's side and I know Sheikh Mohammed Obaid is keen to step him up in trip. Next year he'll definitely stay seven furlongs, maybe even a mile."

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