Vespertilio pips My Mate Alfie in Dash thriller
As Ger Lyons' My Mate Alfie produced his customary honest challenge from up near the pace, Browne McMonagle found himself towards the rear of the field as the race began to develop, but he had a willing partner as the daughter of Night Of Thunder quickly weaved her way to within striking distance.
It was soon left to the the 2-1 favourite to fight out the conclusion with her main market rival My Mate Alfie, with just a short head separating them at the finish, as Vespertilio tasted success for the first time since claiming the Debutante Stakes as a two-year-old.
McCreery said: 'She needs cover and lots of speed. Dylan was very patient and said when she hit the front she thought she had everything done and pulled herself up.
'I'm delighted to get her back in the winner's enclosure. She won a Group Two here as a two-year-old and was third in a French Guineas.
'It was hard to persuade the owners to bring her back to six furlongs as she had such good form over a mile, but it has paid off – Night Of Thunder puts loads of speed into them, the important thing is to switch her off early.
'We might go for the Maurice De Gheest. She has a French breeder premium so she gets another bonus on top if she does well over there.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Carmers in good shape for York clash with Lambourn
Paddy Twomey's unbeaten colt Carmers is aiming for more success on British soil when he lines up in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York on Wednesday. The Wootton Bassett three-year-old did not run at two, and has not put a foot wrong since making his debut with a win in a Ballinrobe maiden in early May. He then took the Listed Yeats Stakes at Navan by a comfortable three lengths, after which he stepped up to Group Two level at Royal Ascot to claim the Queen's Vase over a mile and six furlongs. The colt is now heading for English shores again with his eye on another Group Two prize, this time stepping back to a mile and a half with Colin Keane booked to ride on the Knavesmire in the absence of the injured Billy Lee. 'He's in very good form,' said Twomey. 'He's trained really well since Ascot and has pleased us in everything he's done, we're really looking forward to getting him back out again.' Carmers' Queen's Vase win at Ascot has looked like an increasingly solid piece of form – the runner-up, Furthur, has won the Geoffrey Freer since and the fifth-placed horse, Scandinavia, has subsequently struck twice when taking both the Bahrain Trophy and the Goodwood Cup. Those performances bode well for Twomey's runner, who will meet dual Derby winner Lambourn at York on quick ground the trainer feels his St Leger contender will relish. 'The race looks like it's worked out really well, the form is very good from Ascot,' he said. 'I think the track at the Knavesmire will really suit him, it's a big, galloping track and it will be fast ground which he really likes. 'He'd be very happy with the ground as it is, it was very quick ground at Ascot and he was very happy on that.' Aidan O'Brien has chosen the Group Two as the next port of call for Lambourn, who has the option of the Leger or Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after this. Impressive at Epsom, he was made to work extremely hard when following up at the Curragh by then stablemate Serious Contender, who had been beaten in a handicap at Royal Ascot and has since been sold to Hong Kong. 'Lambourn has obviously had four races this year, he's fit, so he hasn't done too much since the Curragh,' said O'Brien. 'We've just kept him ticking over really. Los Angeles came from the Curragh and Epsom to this race last year 'Mount Kilimanjaro had a break after winning at Chester. He's just ready to start back really. 'It's the same with Stay True, he just got beat in the Lingfield trial by another of ours (Puppet Master) and we gave him a break as that was just his second run, he's just ready to start. 'They'll improve a lot for the run.' O'Brien also runs Thrice, seventh in the Irish Derby when last seen and prior to that the winner of the Gallinule Stakes. William Haggas is represented by Glasgow Stakes runner-up Arabian Force, while Ralph Beckett's Pride Of Arras, so impressive in the Dante but disappointing since, returns to York having been gelded.
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Carmers in good shape for York clash with Lambourn
The Wootton Bassett three-year-old did not run at two, and has not put a foot wrong since making his debut with a win in a Ballinrobe maiden in early May. He then took the Listed Yeats Stakes at Navan by a comfortable three lengths, after which he stepped up to Group Two level at Royal Ascot to claim the Queen's Vase over a mile and six furlongs. The colt is now heading for English shores again with his eye on another Group Two prize, this time stepping back to a mile and a half with Colin Keane booked to ride on the Knavesmire in the absence of the injured Billy Lee. 'He's in very good form,' said Twomey. 'He's trained really well since Ascot and has pleased us in everything he's done, we're really looking forward to getting him back out again.' Carmers' Queen's Vase win at Ascot has looked like an increasingly solid piece of form – the runner-up, Furthur, has won the Geoffrey Freer since and the fifth-placed horse, Scandinavia, has subsequently struck twice when taking both the Bahrain Trophy and the Goodwood Cup. Those performances bode well for Twomey's runner, who will meet dual Derby winner Lambourn at York on quick ground the trainer feels his St Leger contender will relish. 'The race looks like it's worked out really well, the form is very good from Ascot,' he said. 'I think the track at the Knavesmire will really suit him, it's a big, galloping track and it will be fast ground which he really likes. 'He'd be very happy with the ground as it is, it was very quick ground at Ascot and he was very happy on that.' Aidan O'Brien has chosen the Group Two as the next port of call for Lambourn, who has the option of the Leger or Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after this. Impressive at Epsom, he was made to work extremely hard when following up at the Curragh by then stablemate Serious Contender, who had been beaten in a handicap at Royal Ascot and has since been sold to Hong Kong. 'Lambourn has obviously had four races this year, he's fit, so he hasn't done too much since the Curragh,' said O'Brien. 'We've just kept him ticking over really. Los Angeles came from the Curragh and Epsom to this race last year 'Mount Kilimanjaro had a break after winning at Chester. He's just ready to start back really. 'It's the same with Stay True, he just got beat in the Lingfield trial by another of ours (Puppet Master) and we gave him a break as that was just his second run, he's just ready to start. 'They'll improve a lot for the run.' O'Brien also runs Thrice, seventh in the Irish Derby when last seen and prior to that the winner of the Gallinule Stakes. William Haggas is represented by Glasgow Stakes runner-up Arabian Force, while Ralph Beckett's Pride Of Arras, so impressive in the Dante but disappointing since, returns to York having been gelded.
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
‘A big player' – Distant Storm brewing in Acomb Stakes
The Godolphin team went to €1.9million to secure the colt's services at the Arqana breeze-up sale in May and he gave them an immediate return on their investment when making a successful start to his career, albeit narrowly, at Newmarket's July Festival. That form could hardly have worked out better, with not only the runner-up Constitution River and the third Catullus winning since, but also the fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth and 10th home. 🔵 Winning debut 1.9 million guineas buy Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) gives @godolphin, Buick & Appleby yet another win on the July Course — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 11, 2025 Couple that with the fact Distant Storm is bred in the purple as a son of Night Of Thunder out of Date With Destiny, who was the sole foal produced by the brilliant George Washington, and it is no surprise Appleby is expecting a bold showing from his charge on the Knavesmire. 'I'm very pleased with the way he has come out of Newmarket, he ran as we expected and has always shown himself up as a nice horse,' the Moulton Paddocks handler told Tattersalls. 'The Acomb was a race we had in mind once he broke his maiden. The way he's done since his maiden means we're going with confidence that he will be a big player. 'He's a horse that's developing all the time and hopefully looks as though he has got a bright future.' The biggest threat to Distant Storm appears to be the Aidan O'Brien-trained Italy, who landed cramped odds on his Leopardstown introduction before finishing second to Appleby's Saba Desert in the Group Two Superlative Stakes on the July course. O'Brien said: 'He ran well at Newmarket. The race was a bit messy but he ran well, he was still green. 'We think and hope he should have come on a bit and we're expecting a nice run.' Other contenders include Andrew Balding's Newbury winner Gewan and David Menuisier's Goodwood Galaxy, who won on his debut at Salisbury before placing a highly creditable fourth in Goodwood's Vintage Stakes. 'He ran a good race at Goodwood and it makes sense to run here,' said Menuisier. 'I think he'll be better over a mile, but there's no ideal mile race coming up right now so it makes sense to go for the Acomb and then we'll probably step him up in trip. 'He was slowly away at Goodwood and without that he could have finished even closer, but that is all in the past now and we're looking to the future.'
