Sam James

David and Yvonne Blunt's G2 Lancashire Oaks victrix Poptronic (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}--Alpine Dream {Ire}), by Dream Ahead) finished off the board in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks and G1 Prix de Royallieu, but bounced back in brave fashion and made all for a career best in Saturday's G1 Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares S. at Ascot. The 22-1 chance was swiftly into stride from an outer gate and led at a solid clip throughout. Coming under pressure turning for home, she refused to yield under a Sam James drive in...

Newtown Anner Stud's homebred Darnation (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}--Monday Monday {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) improved off a debut third at Haydock to post an impressive 10-length tally over the same seven-furlong distance at Thirsk last month and made a smooth transition upped to pattern-race level with a game tally in Saturday's G3 William Hill Prestige Fillies' S. at Goodwood. Positioned in a stalking second after a smart getaway, the 5-2 favourite fanned wide with the field off the home turn and kept on relentlessly under a drive inside the...

Karl Burke notched an exacta in last term's Listed Clipper EBF Marygate Fillies' S. at York and repeated the dose when once-raced winner Got To Love A Grey (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}--Regatta {Fr}, by Layman) outlasted stablemate Dorothy Lawrence (GB) (Soldier's Call) in this year's renewal of the straight five-furlong dash. Got To Love A Grey went postward as the 5-2 second choice,  coming back off a six-length tally at Nottingham last month, and broke sharply from the far-side stall to seize an immediate lead. Unflustered on the front end...

Friday's G3 Jenningsbet Hoppings Fillies S. at Newcastle represented one of the early skirmishes between the Classic generation and the older fillies and mares and it boiled down to a battle between two members of the former category with Poptronic (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) emerging on top of Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Pitched into this by Karl Burke on the back of a five-length novice success over nearly 11 furlongs at Ripon at the start of the month, David and Yvonne Blunt's homebred looked to be doing too much early...