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Racing Dec 07, 2025

Danielle dazzles for the Gosdens as the Flat season comes to a close at Doncaster

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By Admin
Sports Journalist
Danielle dazzles for the Gosdens as the Flat season comes to a close at Doncaster

Danielle looked the class act on paper ahead of the Virgin Bet A Good Bet Irish EBF Gillies Fillies' Stakes and she had her rivals strung out across Doncaster's Town Moor in winning by nine lengths.

John and Thady Gosden's four-year-old had finished second in the Listed race to the classy Estrange in the race 12 months ago and was fortunate enough there was nothing as good as David O'Meara's grey lurking in this year's contest.

While she had gone winless this season in three runs, she had run with credit in the Park Hill Stakes when fourth to Santorini Star and Consent and then finished fifth to Kalpana at Ascot on Champions Day.

She relished the heavy ground and when James Doyle brought her into contention on the outside of the pack with three furlongs to run, the result looked inevitable.

Showing a smart turn of foot in the conditions, the race was over well over a furlong out with Saeed bin Suroor's Elwateen getting going late to claim second ahead of Bosphorus Rose.

"She's run with credit all season, starting at Goodwood," said Doyle of the 10-11 winner.

"She relishes these conditions, it was deep, testing ground but she loved it.

"She ran well in the Park Hill here and that turned out to be a very good race with Consent and William Haggas' filly (Santorini Star).

"She looked the one to beat today, especially with the ground like that, and while you might not expect to win a Listed race by nine lengths, it was a drop in class for her when you think the Park Hill was like a Group One and she ran well in a Group One last time out."

William Haggas' Castle Cove came from last to first to bring the curtain down on the Flat season in style in Doncaster's Virgin Bet November Handicap.

Piloted with restraint by Jason Hart, the 4-1 joint-favourite found himself anchored in rear turning for home, but his rider soon started picking his way through the field and by the time he emerged on the scene with a furlong to run, his rivals who had been on the pace were already signalling enough.

Hart simply had to keep his mount concentrating and up to his work as he cruised home for a clear-cut four-and-a-quarter-length victory over Faye Bramley's 33-1 chance Miss Dolly Rocker.

It was the perfect way for Haggas and owners Jon and Julia Aisbitt to end the season having also struck on Town Moor with Godwinson in the Lincoln back in March.

And with Haggas surely celebrating in Australia, it was left to Hart, crowned Cock 'O The North earlier in the day, to pick up the plaudits in South Yorkshire, saying: "That's a great way to end the turf season.

"Mr Haggas said if I got the first half of the race right he thought he'd have a really good chance.

"He switched off lovely, but at the top of the straight I did think I had a bit of ground to make up. There was a lot coming back, though, and when I switched to the outside he was always going to get there.

"That was really impressive and he's probably a horse who will get further next year.

"I've got a good strike-rate when I ride for Mr Haggas, but I think everyone has!"

Hart explained he had suffered a family bereavement in the week.

"My grandad died earlier in the week and he was probably the one, after my mum and dad, who pushed me in the racing direction. He would have been proud to see that, I hope I can keep doing him proud," said Hart.

Spycatcher's campaign came full circle when he landed the Virgin Bet Supports Safe Gambling Wentworth Stakes in clinical fashion at Doncaster.

Successful in France recently, Karl Burke's ultra-consistent seven-year-old was in winning action in the Cammidge Trophy over course and distance on the opening day of the Flat turf season and duly recorded his third win of the year back on Town Moor on the final day of term.

Devouring the soft ground in the hands of Pierre-Louis Jamin, the 4-1 shot travelled strongly into contention and stormed two and three-quarter lengths clear of the running-on Zoum Zoum.

Spycatcher, who is owned by Highclere Thoroughbreds, has now won nine times from 40 starts.

Burke was in Germany to watch Convergent in a Group One, but said: "That was brilliant. I just managed to watch it here in Germany and I was delighted. He's a Group One horse on that ground, he absolutely ploughs through it.

"If we managed to get him into a Group One and it comes up that ground he'd run a big one somewhere next season.

"We were going to put him away after his last run, but with the ground the way it is and him bouncing out of that race so well, we said we'd roll the dice."

Jamin said: "I rode him at Chantilly the last day. We know he likes this ground but he was coming into this today with a penalty.

"We thought with it being the end of the season and giving the weight away it might have got the better of him today, but we tracked the pace and when the gap opened we kicked on.

"He's so well right now it's a shame there's no more races for him. I think he was meant to be done after France but Karl thought he was so well and he'd have his ground at Doncaster, why not - and he was right."

Jamin was riding in place of regular pilot Clifford Lee who is currently sidelined with a neck injury and he added: "I think he moved to James Cook in Middlesbrough two days ago.

"I actually went to see him on Wednesday in Edinburgh as I was riding at Musselburgh. I think he's doing well and we're all thinking of him, hopefully he'll be back soon."

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