Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed's Malthouse made an impressive winning debut with a near three-length triumph in the EBF GL Events Owen Brown Crocker Bulteel Maiden Stakes at Ascot yesterday. Carrying the increasingly familiar green colours of Sheikh Hamdan, the Green Desert colt poured on the pressure under Richard Hills in the final furlong to romp past the post. Mark Johnston, the trainer, said: "My two-year-olds have been slow to come to hand so I wasn't sure what to expect but he is a nice horse. I haven't really sorted a pecking order for the juveniles yet so there is no immediate plan."
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid's Ishraaqat got off the mark at the third time of asking when obliging as the favourite in the TurfTV Maiden Fillies' Stakes. The Singspiel filly had come forward after both of her previous outings and she showed a pleasing attitude to get the better of Sennockian Storm by three-quarters of a length. Marcus Tregoning, the winning trainer, said: "She has had awful trouble with her feet and they do say no feet, no horse. She has done very well today as she lost a shoe during the race. We will step her up to a mile and a quarter, which will certainly help, and she does like top of the ground."
Godolphin's Alexandros finished third in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis Bayerisches at Munich yesterday. Chasing the racing operation's third Group 1 success in eight days in Germany, the five-year-old gave chase to Johnston's Lady Jane Digby but eventually had to settle for third. Emerald Commander finished a disappointing seventh in a Group race in France yesterday while Rio De La Plata was involve in a dead heat with Mabait at Pontefract yesterday. Ridden by Kieran Fallon and trained by Saeed bin Suroor, the five-year-old crossed the line in 1min 43.25secs.
* Agencies