Andrew Balding’s See The Fire showed her class to land the Group 3 Strensall Stakes at York on Saturday.
Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy were in the winners' enclosure when See The Fire ran on strongly from off the pace to land the Group 3 Strensall Stakes at York. Phantom Flight looked to have every chance entering the final furlong, but George Scott's new recruit failed to match the finishing kick of the winner, who eventually went on to claim the prize by a comfortable one and three-quarter lengths.
Checkandchallenge defied his starting price of 33/1 to finish back in third.
"She was brilliant in the Nassau the last day and her work since has been great," said Murphy, who had just steered the 3/1 market leader to victory. "She's been working with older horses that are in good form and she's been finding it very easy."
"I wasn't going to sit three wide on her, I wanted to get cover and maybe have horses to fill up on the back of before finding space. Arguably I was fortunate enough that it opened up on the inside, but she was very good at the line with her ears pricked.
"It's so important, she's out of Arabian Queen who won a Juddmonte International, she's a homebred for Littleton Stud and I'm delighted."
Paddy Power cut the winner to 6/1 (from 10s) for the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket later this year.
Balding said: "We've always thought the world of this filly. She's beautiful to look at, she's always worked well, and I've just got to thank David Elsworth for retiring when he did because I've reaped the rewards of having the mare's progeny!
"David did fabulously well with the family, and she (Arabian Queen) is an amazing broodmare.
"I'm delighted for Jeff (Smith) and David (Bowe) and everyone at Littleton because these owner-breeders are so important and to get this calibre of horse is special."
Tabletalk takes Melrose honours
Tom Clover's talented three-year-old Tabletalk proved what he was capable of when fighting on bravely to win the valuable Melrose Handicap at York on Saturday.
Tabletalk looked to have a fight in his hands when The Equator took up the running travelling strongly about two furlongs from home, but Aidan O'Brien's charge didn't find as much for pressure as most would have anticipated, and under the Rossa Ryan drive, the son of Camelot responded gamely to land the prize by half a length.
Master Builder finished with a purpose to claim the bronze medal spot, while Wild Waves stuck on well to finish back in fourth.
"There might have been a slight concern about the trip," said Ryan. "But he had the right attributes to get the trip and he's as tough as they come.
"We went hard for the first three furlongs but by the time we finally got to the mile pole they started steadying up. Around that bend it's soft enough and we got a couple under pressure early. He travelled everywhere I needed him and he's a good, strapping colt so you'd imagine when he gets to four, he'd be better again."
It was a second career success for Tabletalk, who landed a Chelmsford maiden prior to finishing down the field in the Group 1 Epsom Derby in June. He subsequently finished third on his handicap debut over a mile and a half at Ascot.
"He was a bit loud at Chelmsford and it (the Derby) probably did him the world of good, it turned him from a boy into a man and I'd imagine he was a horse that benefited from going there. That run the last day at Ascot I thought was a massive run and I'd say he'd get better as time goes on.
"Tom's done an incredible job, fair play to him and his team."
