THANK YOU NEXT is Number One Again.
Sun 09 Aug 2020
Our 38th Winner of the year: THANK YOU NEXT, trained by Richard Hannon and ridden by Sean Levey: The Betway Nursery Handicap, over 7f at Newmarket.
Having already won at Kempton and then placing a staying on 3rd in a Class 2 over 6f at The Qatar Goodwood Festival on Friday, it was a step up to 7f for our daughter of No Nay Never yesterday at HQ. Sean Levey settled her towards the rear as a fierce pace was set by the leader. Around 2f out, he began to ask her to move up and as the leader came back to the pack, with 1f to go, she pulled clear with the 2nd horse and the two had a sustained duel in the final furlong, but she showed grit to keep on and win by 1/2 length. The pair having stretched just under 5 lengths away from the 3rd horse!
You can actually hear some of her owners shouting her home on the replay below! A big thank you to the Newmarket team for looking after our owners and super that everyone who wanted to attend was able to so.
Watch the full race replay here: https://www.racingtv.com/videos/watch/horse_racing_replays/286259-betway-nursery-handicap-3
Her win is another positive stat for our horses purchased as breeze ups. Our 8 'breezer' runners to have raced so far, have now finished: 3rd, 2nd, 1st, 4th, 3rd, 1st 1st and 1st - this includes a winner and a 3rd at the competitive Qatar Goodwood Festival! So, we think we've done alright so far with the ones we've purchased and there are more set to debut.
It was a day for tough fillies yesterday, with the lovely WEDDING DATE taking 2nd up at Haydock, even with a troubled passage in the race! She always gives her all and owes her owners nothing, heading to trebling her purchase price from her prize money!
Syndicate manager Tim says: "Congratulations to the Thank You Next owners on a fabulous, tenacious victory at HQ on a Saturday. Her and the 2nd horse pulled well clear of the rest in the style of a very decent performance. The time of the race, interestingly was faster than the Sweet Solera Stakes time over the same trip. We'll see what the handicapper does and how she comes out of the race, but in two weeks time there's the Group 3 Prestige Stakes over 7f at Goodwood, which we will consider for her.
It was a sad postscript for the yard in the following race. We send our deepest condolences to the owners of Fly Miss Helen and to Richard Hannon and the team, on losing the talented filly in the Sweet Solera Stakes. An empty box at evening stables is heart breaking and its moments like these that remind us all to count our blessings when horses return safe and sound to their stable in the evening."