Enable half-sister Portrush shows promise on debut with second at Newbury

Portrush, a Frankel half-sister to 2019 Horse of the Year Enable, made an encouraging start to her career when chasing home odds-on favourite Gold Rush at Newbury on Thursday.

Unraced as a juvenile, Portrush sported a hood on her first start and raced towards the rear of the field in the 1m2f fillies’ maiden under jockey Kieran O’Neill.

O’Neill niggled the filly at the top of the straight and she responded generously, moving through the field in the colours of owner/breeder Khalid Abdullah to stalk Gold Wand, a daughter of Golden Horn, who won the 2015 Derby for Enable and Portrush’s trainer John Gosden.

However, Andrea Atzeni always looked confident on Gold Wand and the filly lengthened clear in the closing stages to score by a length and a half, completing a 15.5-1 treble on the day for the jockey after he also steered Broughtons Gold and Stylistique to victory.

Atzeni said:"We've always liked her and she probably bumped into one first time. We wanted to get her settled in behind and she finished strongly."

Clover keeps fantastic form going with another winner at Newbury

Few trainers have started the belated Flat season better than Newmarket trainer Tom Clover, who saddled his sixth winner since resumption when Broughtons Gold landed the 6f handicap at Newbury.

A winner on his last start in October, Broughtons Gold came with a strong run under jockey Andrea Atzeni to comfortably defeat Punchbowl Flyer.

Clover, a former assistant to Newmarket trainer David Simcock, said: “He won his novice well last year and I thought he'd appreciate some cut in the ground, so the rain they had was great. He looks like a nice prospect."

Clover saddled 19 winners in 2019 and Broughtons Gold was his 11th success of 2020, with three of those victories coming on Monday at Haydock and Wolverhampton.

The trainer, who is married to Jackie Jarvis, daughter of the late Newmarket trainer Michael Jarvis, moved into the historic Kremlin House Stables in September last year and has been delighted with the form of the yard.

He said at Newbury on Thursday: “The team has worked so hard. All through the lockdown I never had one member of staff complain and they've been fantastic. I'm so pleased it's paying off for them and our owners, who have been so loyal."

Nigel Tinkler: had an 80-1 winner on Thursday

Tinkler on target at Beverley with 80-1 surprise winner

Annangel turned her form inside out to make her second start a winning one in Beverley's 5f novice stakes at odds of 80-1.

Trained and owned by Nigel Tinkler, Annangel had been sent off at 50-1 on her debut at Newcastle on the day of racing's resumption and showed little in finishing ninth of 11, beaten 19 lengths.

However, her second start could not have gone any differently as she jumped smartly from the gates, travelled well near the lead and kicked clear in the closing stages to win comfortably under Rowan Scott.

Annangel provided Tinkler and Scott with their first winners since racing returned last Monday.

The trainer said: “We’re pleased to be back racing! We’re chuffed to bits that she won and she’ll probably go to the sales now.”

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