Top 40 winners Earth Shot & Saber Strike

As discussed, William Haggas' team were needing their seasonal reappearances last month but the Somerville Lodge outfit are starting to hit their straps with eight winners in the last six days. The stable had a terrific afternoon on the Rowley Mile on Friday with a treble. They include two hugely promising three year old who feature in the Top 40 Prospects in Ahead On The Flat. Earth Shot had reportedly impressed William Buick when finishing second on her debut at Newbury last Autumn. Reappearing in the opening ten furlongs fillies' maiden stakes, the daughter of Time Test stretched clear inside the final furlong to win by five lengths. Tom Marquand's mount sat in behind the leader before asked for her effort going into the dip. Bred to stay a mile and a half, she holds an entry in the Epsom Oaks and that remains a possibility. More immediately, Earth Shot will contest a Listed fillies' stakes at Newbury (16th May) later this month. She looks a very smart filly in the making.

Stablemate Saber Strike had impressed when scoring on his debut at Redcar in November. A well bred son of Night of Thunder, there is plenty of speed in the pedigree and he proved his stamina, too, when pulling away to win the Listed King Charles II Stakes. Held up during the early stages, the Haggas runner showed good acceleration to lead over a furlong out before putting distance between himself and the promising runner-up Cerro Blanco (featured in the Unraced Three Year Olds section in AOTF). A length and a quarter winner, he is entered in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot but the Group 3 Jersey Stakes could be a more likely target. Either way, he is another tremendous prospect for the Top 40. 

It is a big day for George Boughey on Saturday with the unbeaten Bow Echo lining up in the 2000 Guineas. The Newmarket handler was amongst the winners at Goodwood on Friday with Protection Act (11/2) impressing in the John Dunlop Conditions Stakes. The Starspangledbanner colt came from last to first in the one mile event showing good acceleration to lead inside the final furlong. A three parts of a length scorer, he holds an entry in the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. Here's what George commented on page 76: "I thought he was going to be one of our stars amongst the juveniles last year. He has grown and really changed during the winter and I think he is a Pattern horse in the making." The unbeaten colt wouldn't look out of place in something like the Listed Heron Stakes at Sandown (28th May).

Thank you to those clients who emailed after an excellent day for followers of Ahead on The Flat. The winners included Earth Shot (10/11), Jonquil (10/3), Protection Act (11/2), Santorini Star (9/4), Saber Strike (11/2) and Tattycoram (17/2).

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