Wednesday’s racing round-up includes a Listed victory for Marsh Wren at Market Rasen…
Marsh Wren enhanced her consistent record with a success in the Listed Pertemps Network Bud Booth Mares' Chase at Market Rasen. Winner of eight starts from fourteen runs, the mare finished a strong third in the Grade 2 Mares' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Ridden by Sean Bowen, the eight-year-old made all in the three-mile contest, pulling clear to win by an impressive sixteen lengths. In an interview with Racing TV, trainer Stuart Edmunds said: "I'm very happy – she's a star. She's tough and doesn't know when she's beaten. The trip was an unknown, but obviously it's not a problem. She might go to Ireland now, Fairyhouse on New Year's Day (for the John and Chich Fowler Memorial Mares Chase)".
Arqana has announced that a share in stallion Zarak has been sold privately for 600,000 euros to Chauvigny Global Equine. The son of Dubawi has achieved twenty-eight Stakes winner in his stud career to date, including Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero Metropolitan. Based at Haras de Bonneval, the stallion will stand for 80,000 euros in 2025.
Jockey Shane Quinlan was back in the winner's enclosure for the first time in 255-days after securing a victory aboard Face D'Music in the Alpha Aggregates Handicap Chase at Hereford. Somewhat of a course specialist, Face D'Music made up considerable late ground to steal the win by a neck from hot favourite Harrys Hope.
A Mehmas filly made top lot on Day Two of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, purchased for 200,000 guineas by Daniel Creighton. Consigned by Plantation Stud, the foal is out of Listed winner Natalie's Joy, from the family of Champion European Filly Blue Duster. Creighton said: "Mehmas is flying this year, she is out of a Lope de Vega mare, a similar cross to Persian Force and to Gubbass. She is a lovely black type mare, the filly is a lovely physical, nice and well-grown, and it made a lot of sense. It was probably what we thought we'd have to pay - you would expect to pay that for a filly who is by such a proven a stallion and out of a black type mare. If I had a foal like this I would be disappointed if it did not reach those sort of heights."
