Young And Old Provide Double Delight
Two horses at either end of their careers provided a Saturday double with Emaraaty Ana taking listed success and Volterra shedding his maiden tag.
Emaraaty Ana has had a stellar career, dining at the top table for the majority of the time and landing Group 1 success in the 2021 Haydock Sprint Cup. Whilst he hadn’t won since then, he has put in some terrific performances and gained a long overdue success when taking the 5f Blue Eagle Rous Stakes at Ascot.
Whilst being winless since his Gr 1 success, Emaraaty Ana went close in last seasons Haydock Sprint Cup and almost succeeded in the Turf Sprint at the Breeders Cup. This season has not gone to plan for the 7yo, with summer ground being more likeable to jumping ground in mid December, he has shown that a win was just around the corner. Many may have written him off due to his age but it was more a case of him getting a little wise than any shrinking in his sprinting capabilities.
Neil Callan has been on board for most of this season and following two placed efforts in Listed company, suggested that cheek pieces may just be required at this stage. Lining up at Ascot, with the headgear applied, Emaraaty Ana broke well and was prominent towards the stands side rail. The 7yo showed great speed through the early stages and certainly looked to have some extra pep in stride as they charged through the early stages. He actually proved to be a little bit of a handful for Neil, and pulled his way to the lead following the first furlong.
There was barely time to blink as the field moved through halfway with little change in the order. Emaraaty Ana travelled well on the front as the race heated up and they began to race for the line. As his rivals came under pressure, Neil just loosened his grip on the reins and let his mount stride on. Maintaining his lead, Emaraaty Ana began to move through the gears but had yet to hit top gear.
Nothing had really got into the contest as they moved towards the final furlong and Ana continued to pour it on from the lead. One by one his rivals began to weaken out of the contest, leaving only a couple of challengers for the final dash. He had the measure of his nearest pursuer who could never get any nearer and so the final 1/2f was left to his market rival, the second favourite. Korker was making a late sprint from the rear of the field but it was all in vain. For a second it looked as though there may be a big threat coming but having done most his winning at 6f, Emaraaty Ana was only getting stronger the further they went. With the minimum of fuss the 7yo galloped out to a comfortable 1 3/4 lengths victory.
It is always nice to see the older generation continue to shine and Emaraaty Ana has been a star for the yard. Although he is 7yo, Emaraaty Ana doesn’t have that many miles on the clock and has shown there is still plenty left. The headgear obviously worked and he showed great speed throughout the contest which could open up a tilt at the Breeders Cup. That being said it may well be his last run for the yard as he is entered in the HIT sales, so if he were to go then it would be great way to sign off.
At the other end of the spectrum, Volterra was looking to gain his first career win after some promising efforts. Making his third start, the 2yo cat overcame some signs of inexperience to win the 7f Racing TV EBF Stallions Novice Stakes at Redcar.
The son of Farhh was always going to be a work in progress with time being his friend. As the year progressed, so did he and his nice home work led to the colt making his debut in the Convivial Maiden at York. It is always one of the most competitive maidens of the season, due to the impressive prize money on offer. Volterra made a very promising start to his career, finishing fourth after running green throughout the race. That inexperience continued to show in his next run where he went one place better, at Ayr, again showing promise but not quite being able to gain the win.
Late in the season, some maidens can tend to be a bit of a mix quality wise but the 12 runners here looked to set quite a good standard. There were winners in the line up as well the Convivial second. Tome Eaves took the ride aboard Volterra and the pair made a nice start, jumping on terms to settle in behind the leaders. They raced down the centre of the track as the field slotted into their positions. With a strong pace being set the field were well strung out through the first couple of furlongs but Volterra tagged on to the lead quite comfortably.
From an early stage there were some of the field struggling as the pace was finding them out. Quickly passing halfway, the race heated up as they were racing from this far out. Tom was happy with his mouth as Volterra travelled with ease and maintained his position without any issues. The final stages of the race would certainly test these juveniles as they would need to see the trip out well.
Moving inside the 2f the leaders were now in full flow. It was here that Tom got busier in the saddle as he asked his mount to lengthen. Again Volterra showed signs of inexperience as he edged to his right. Tom didn’t do anything drastic and slowly adjusted the colt to get him balanced once again. Now back on an even keel, Tom again got hold of the reins to drive him forward. Having edged away from his rivals, Volterra had lost a little bit of ground which he now looked to earn back. Time was not on his side and down by over a length, Volterra only had a furlong to overcome the deficit. The leader was not for stopping, which was impressive after the fractions he had set. Slowly but surely Volterra was getting the message and began to motor. Still there was plenty of ground to make up and the line was getting closer and closer. In full flight, Volterra had the momentum and wind in his sails. Flying down the stands side he reined in the leader in the dying strides. He had left it until the very last minute but Volterra grabbed the lead and errand a neck victory.
Volterra is a lovely prospect and it was nice to see him get off the nark. It is clear that he has the ability but this year has also shown that mentally he has been a work in progress. Having stepped up on each run it was important to gain that first win and it will certainly be something that he can build on. That will be the last run this season and Volterra is a definitely an exciting prospect to look forward to.