OCEAN RIDGE made a late bid for Royal Ascot recognition when launching her career with an impressive winning debut at Newbury yesterday.
She may have forced her way into Peter Chapple Hyam's team for next week's big meeting after opening her account in the EBF Kennett Maiden.
The daughter of Storm Bird made virtually all the running in the Robert Sangster colours coming home four lengths clear of the runner up Eurolink Excaliber.
And even with the Queen Mary Stakes, her possible target, just six days away, connections could be tempted to run. "She is pretty useful and that was not a bad performance by a filly to beat the colts at this time of the year," he said.
"She has blistering speed but in my heart of hearts would prefer to wait for the Cherry Hinton. It all depends what her owners decides. My two year olds have not been quite right otherwise she would have been out before now." Chapple Hyam runs Raven Master in the Norfolk Stakes and Daylight In Dubai in the Coventry but both must be considered outside chances.
His best hope is Woodborough who runs in the Cork And Orrery Stakes, having finished well to take third behind Mind Games in the Temple Stakes.
Fun Galore, who opened his account with victory in the Kingsclere Conditions Stakes, was also considered for Royal Ascot.
But his trainer Barry Hills has been persuaded to wait for Newmarket's July meeting with the colt who upset hot favourite Wolf Mountain to win by a head.
There are also better things to come from Sardonic, who made nearly all the running to win the listed Ballymacoll Stud Stakes.
The filly drifted out into the middle and only scrambled home by a head from Min Alhawa but jockey Willie Ryan remarked, "She proved she is quite a nice filly today." Goodwood's Nassau Stakes could be among the future targets of the unbeaten horse, whose owner Lord Howard de Walden could be represented by Valedictory (Queens Vase) and Zygo (Royal Hunt Cup) at Ascot.
