DONCASTER (30 Jul 2005)

Good To Soft

3:30 Weatherbys VAT Services Summer Cup (Handicap) (4) (3yo+,0-85)

[off 3:32] £22,951.50, £7,062.00, £3,531.00, £1,765.50 (1m2f60y) 1m2½f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Perle D´Or (IRE) (2) W J Haggas 4 9-1 R Hills 14/1 76 — —

2 1¼ Goodbye Mr Bond (6) E J Alston 5 9-4 P Dobbs 12/1 79 — —

3 nk Mustajed (4) B R Millman 4 9-5 G Baker 14/1 80 — —

4 1½ Ionian Spring (IRE) (13) C G Cox 10 9-10 D Sweeney 16/1 85 — —

5 2 Dispol Veleta (5) T D Barron 4 8-9 D Fentiman(5) 66/1 75 — —

6 shd Song Of Songs (12) J R Fanshawe 3 9-3 6 J P Spencer 6/4F 88 — —

7 ½ Dance To My Tune (17) M W Easterby 4 8-11 P Mulrennan(3) 25/1 75 — —

8 1 Opening Ceremony (USA) (11) R A Fahey 6 9-1 G Parkin 20/1 76 — —

9 shd Lysandra (IRE) (18) Sir Michael Stoute 3 8-11 M Henry 8/1 82 — —

10 1¼ Silverhay (16) T D Barron 4 8-6 Mark Flynn(5) 40/1 72 — —

11 hd Stretton (IRE) (9) J D Bethell 7 8-6 J Cavanagh(7) 25/1 74 — —

12 ½ Astronomical (IRE) (7) B W Hills 3 8-11 M Hills 12/1 82 — —

13 2 Jazz Scene (IRE) (14) M R Channon 4 9-3 A Culhane 14/1 78 — —

14 4 Blonde Streak (USA) (10) T D Barron 5 9-2 S Carson 25/1 77 — —

15 nk Magic Sting (3) M L W Bell 4 9-4 Hayley Turner(3) 16/1 82 — —

16 12 True Companion (19) N P Littmoden 6 9-3 M Savage(5) 33/1 83 — —

17 1¾ Double Vodka (IRE) (15) Mrs J R Ramsden 4 9-0 R Fitzpatrick 20/1 75 — —

18 5 Nuit Sombre (IRE) (20) J G M O´Shea 5 9-7 R Havlin 16/1 82 — —

19 2½ Riley Boys (IRE) (8) J G Given 4 9-5 F Lynch 20/1 80 — —

19 ran TIME 2m 11.19s (slow by 3.19s) TOTAL SP 136%

NON RUNNER: Otago (IRE)

1st OWNER: The Perle d'Or Partnership BRED: J Bowdren TRAINER: W J Haggas

2nd OWNER: Peter J Davies

3rd OWNER: Double P Partnership

TOTE WIN £18.00 PL £3.20, £2.20, £3.80, £3.10; Ex £266.40; CSF £168.22; TRICAST £2455.11

ANALYSIS: About as competitive as 0-85 handicaps can get, with two-thirds of the field having already shown winning form this season, and they went a decent pace too, but there were one or two hard-luck stories after a bit of bunching around 2f out.

By her ownconnections' admission PERLE D'OR has two ways of running and she had disappointed on her two previous starts but showed the better side of her nature here as she led around 2f out and kept on well for a tidy success. Consistency is not her strong point but she is useful on her day.

Goodbye Mr Bond was stepping up in trip but allayed any fears over his stamina as he kept on from the rear to take second well inside the final furlong under a fine ride up the far side rail - he has run a string of good races this summer and clearly has the ability to win off his current mark.

Sandown winner Mustajed ran another good race off a mark just 2lb higher while Ionian Spring, who dropped to claiming class to win at Chester, showed he is still effective in this grade as he kept on well on the outside for fourth, having been virtually last early in the straight.

Dispol Veleta also finished notably well for fifth having been short of room over 2f out. This effort proved she stays 1m2f and is worth keeping an eye on when there is her favoured give in the ground.

Song of Songs could not confirm the promise of last weekend's Newmarket victory, travelling well under her 6lb penalty but ultimately finding less than appeared likely - this was a much more competitive affair than the five-runner race which this inexperienced filly won six days earlier and it may also have come too quickly for her.

Dance To My Tune ran creditably, while last year's winner Opening Ceremony did well as she lost her place after being short of room around 3f out and 2f out - she is worth another chance.