Experienced Soldier’s Heart schools rivals at Ripon

Soldier’s Heart made the step back up to six furlongs on his last appearance at Ripon after Simon and Ed Crisford’s colt struggled at Goodwood.

An easy winner of that conditions race, it certainly stood him in good stead in a competitive field of seven previous winners.

Harry Davies was able to grab the prime rail position from stall five and in truth the result never looked in any doubt.

Allowed an easy lead, he gradually wound up the pace and with a furlong to run, the race looked over as he held a four-length lead.

Benevento did best of the rest, closing to within two lengths, but he was no match for the 15-8 favourite, who will now step back up in class.

Richard Fahey’s Shadow Army, fourth in the Group One Phoenix Stakes last time out, finished tailed off as if something was amiss.

Davies said of the winner: “He’s come on again from his last run. He jumped great from the gates and he was more streetwise today, he was having a good look around the last day.

“Him being here before has obviously helped him out, some horses find it quite hard the first time but he has definitely come on and he handled the conditions great.

“He’s compact, he’s bred to be very fast and the step back up to six furlongs has definitely helped him. He was good today.

“He’s in the Mill Reef (Newbury, September 21) and the Middle Park (Newmarket, September 28) and those options are obviously open to him now. If he keeps going the way he is, we’ll be happy.

“At Goodwood in the Molecomb, he was pretty much run off his feet, it was the first time I rode him and obviously Goodwood is a very sharp five – when they get unbalanced coming down the hill, they never really have much of a chance, he only got going in the last furlong.

“We knew if we took him somewhere he’d be comfortable, he could get his head in front once again.”