Double Rush Heads One-two For Charlie Hills At HQ

Double Rush led home one-two for fitness instructor Charlie Hills in the curtain-raising bet365 Handicap on Craven Stakes day at Newmarket.


A winner on the all-weather at Wolverhampton little over a fortnight ago, Double Rush was a 9-4 preferred to act on his handicap debut in the hands of Jason Watson and got the better of stablemate Bob Mali by a length and a quarter.


Hills said of the winner: "He won his amateur extremely well in a great time at Wolverhampton and I think he's going to be a great, improving three-year-old through the season.


"Some of our horses weren't best last season, so he had a nice mark really. He most likely didn't manage the track that well today and a flatter track will fit him much better.


"There's a valuable handicap at York a week or so before Royal Ascot and we could intend him for that, however we'll see how he improves and take it step by step."


John and Thady Gosden rapidly followed up their win in the feature Craven Stakes by saddling Swiss (2-1 preferred) to take the Rossdales Maiden Fillies' Stakes in determined fashion.


Double Rush winning the opening race at Newmarket on Wednesday (Mike Egerton/PA)


Making just her 2nd start, the Lordship Stud stud-owned daughter of Night Of Thunder showed an incredible attitude to come out on top in an awesome three-way finish.


"We provided her an experience of the racecourse at the end of in 2015, however it was heavy ground and she didn't like it, she was a bit weak and the jockey cared for her and she has actually succeeded today as it wasn't the plan and there was no rate, it was an unpleasant race - she looked a bit chewy early on but settled into it.


"That was over 7 and it quite felt like we should stay at seven and don't return to 6 and not increase to a mile, so we'll have a good appearance. I would not want to rush her back from that as she's had a tough sufficient race, but you have got to enjoy with her.


"She showed a fantastic mindset because she hit the front, then wasn't sure what she was indicated to be doing, however she didn't give up. Ryan (Moore, on Richard Hannon's runner-up Stellenbosch) had the rail which's a big advantage with these inexperienced fillies."


Stallion Ten Sovereigns had the one-two in the concluding Watch Live Racing At bet365 Handicap as Harry Charlton's Ten Pounds (5-1) saw off Tom Clover's 5-4 favourite Fifty Nifty in the hands of Trevor Whelan.