Lancashire Oaks: Poptronic sees off Sea Silk Road to land Group Two prize at Haydock

Poptronic finally enjoyed her moment in the spotlight after gamely holding off Sea Silk Road to win the bet365 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

Since winning the Hoppings Stakes at Newcastle last season, Karl Burke’s filly had come up just short in several big races.

In two runs previous runs this season, she had done herself no favours by racing keenly, but on this occasion she was far more tractable in the hands of Sam James.

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Happy to take a lead off Peripatetic until the two-furlong marker, Poptronic (12/1) still looked a bit of a sitting duck as the three big guns, Mimikyu, Time Lock and finally Sea Silk Road all laid down a challenge.

After seeing off the first two, it looked like she may have to give best to William Haggas’ Sea Silk Road, who had beaten Poptronic last time out in the Lester Piggott Stakes, but Burke’s four-year-old was not to be denied.

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In the last 50 yards, the run of the 7/4 favourite just flattened out and Poptronic won by a neck.

Kelly Burke, daughter of the winning trainer who rides Poptronic every day at home, said: “I was delighted, she’s been banging on the door the whole time and she’s such a genuine, tough filly.

“I think the slight change of tactics, just going that little bit more forward, has helped. She can be quite keen and because of that we’ve tried to drop her in and not let her over-race, but she’s got more settled as the year has gone on.

“I think the key with her is not to pull her around and kick early because she hasn’t got a turn of foot, she just keeps grinding it out and if you ride her for a turn of foot, they always beat her.

“She ran well behind the favourite (Sea Silk Road) here last time and she actually beat her the time before. I think it’s just how the race pans out sometimes. I’m delighted she’s won a Group Two now.”

‘Brucey bonus’ for Fahey in Old Newton Cup

Image: Wootton'sun races to victory in the Old Newton Cup at Haydock

Richard Fahey described victory in the £150,000 bet365 Old Newton Cup Handicap as a ‘Brucey bonus’, after Wootton’sun (15/2) capitalised on a late admission to the race by picking up a lucrative third career success.

The four-year-old was a second reserve for the contest after the declaration stage on Thursday morning but sneaked in due to a couple of drop outs, and he was quick to make the most of that stroke of good fortune.

Prominent throughout the historic 12-furlong contest under Joe Fanning, Wootton’Sun took over at the furlong pole and found plenty for a half-length success – banking £77,310 in the process.

Fahey admitted that he didn’t think he would have been in the winner’s enclosure with his charge earlier in the week.

He said: “To be very honest when we were second reserve, Steve (Bradley, owner) rang me and wanted to book a jockey and I said ‘Steve, we’ve no chance of getting in’!

“It couldn’t have worked out better in the end as Joe was available, he had a light weight and to win feels like a ‘Brucey bonus’.

“It was a race that we had in mind at the beginning of the season, we felt he could definitely improve if he could sneak in and it’s worked out fantastically.

“He’s been running very well and we probably needed to win one of those races to get him up the couple of pounds to get him in this, so I’m delighted it all worked out in the end. That was his Derby, so it’s great it worked out.”

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Lordship laughs at handicap rivals

Lordship (100/30) continued his upward trajectory when recording an eye-catching success in the £100,000 bet365 Handicap over a mile and six furlongs.

The three-year-old was quickly turned out, having completed a double at Yarmouth eight days ago, and he showed a good turn of foot to bring up the hat-trick here, recovering from a sluggish start to sweep down the outside and mow down the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Flower Of Dubai.

Each of Lordship’s three victories this term have come on good to firm ground, but Maureen Haggas feels that he could well improve for some cut in the ground – citing the Melrose Stakes at York in August as a possible target.