Carolinae goes down in history with first Listed success in Essex

Carolinae went down in the annals of history at the Essex track when becoming the inaugural winner of the track's first Listed race.

The title of the Queen Charlotte Stakes was a nod to the past as it had a link to the now defunct nearby course at Galleywood.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the top race at the then Chelmsford racecourse was known as the Queen Charlotte Plate and was also run for fillies.

The racecourse even had to get permission from the royal family to resurrect the title as Queen Charlotte was the grandmother of Queen Victoria.

Not surprisingly with a purse of £75,000, there was a maximum turnout including Irish raider Belle Boyd for the 6f contest.

In the end, the latter had to settle for second behind the Charlie Fellowes-trained winner.

Successful jockey Stevie Donohoe said: "You wouldn't believe that this filly had a sore foot three days ago. Charlie has done a great job with her and it was a strong race. Now she's won a Listed race she can be a mummy."

Billy Ocean is set to take the stage at Chelmsford on Thursday

Handicap bonanza

The Listed race was the crowning glory of the richest ever evening of racing in Britain with over £230,000 in prize-money and was flanked by a host of £40,000 handicaps

Sir Michael Stoute's Melting Dew has followed the same route as his stablemate Convey in being transferred from the ownership of Khalid Abdullah to Robert Ng and repaid some of his transfer fee when bagging the first valuable contest on the card.

Stoute may have had bigger things to celebrate after two winners at Royal Ascot in the afternoon but will have been pleased with the courage the four-year-old showed to outgun Nonios in the 1m2f handicap.

New connections will have to find another few races like this to cover the 310,000 guineas they paid for the son of Cacique in the sales ring however.

Winning jockey David Probert said: "He looks a good buy and hopefully can go on from this over further."

Wood for the trees

George Wood partnered his first winner as a fully fledged jockey when Lady Bergamot got up to land the £40,000 stayers' handicap for his boss James Fanshawe.

The winning jockey had 34 rides without success since losing his claim this month and was happy to get to first base.

He said: "I've had a lot of seconds this year but I'm pleased to do it for the boss and the whole team."

Noseda joy

Jeremy Noseda enjoyed his first winner for 82 days when Cenotaph took advantage of a favoured low draw in the Class 3 6f handicap under Shane Kelly.

The Newmarket trainer was saddling just his eighth winner of 2018 on the former Aidan O'Brien inmate.

Kelly said: "It's nice to get a winner for the stable and he had a great trip around from stall two."

Drainage ducts have been installed at Chelmsford

Track update

Chelmsford is hopeful of turf racing commencing in 2019 and the latest stage of the groundwork has been completed in recent weeks. The track has been dug out and the turf is expected to be laid sometime in August.

Racecourse manager Fraser Garrity said: "The drainage has been put in and we shortly will put the sand and sports soil on top of that and the turf will go in sometime in August. It depends on how it beds in to whether it will be fit for next year and what sort of autumn and winter we have."

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