Double Rush creates big impression on first run for Balding

Double Rush has been backed to excel this season after he made a deep impression on his stable debut for Andrew Balding at Newmarket.

Sent off the 11-10 favourite for the Weatherbys Global Stallions App Handicap won by William Haggas’ More Thunder 12 months ago, connections are hopeful of charting a similar trajectory to the top having won handsomely by just shy of five lengths in the hands of Oisin Murphy.

“Oisin came back in and said he was a push-button ride and said he feels like a really nice horse,” said the trainer’s wife and assistant Anna Lisa Balding.

“I don’t think this is a massive surprise and Charlie (Hills, previous trainer) did a great job with him. We’ve been very lucky getting him in the yard and he’s been training really well, Andrew was hoping for a run like that today and we’re delighted.

“We could possibly follow the same route as More Thunder and if he could replicate him we would take that! He looks like he will be able to take a rise (in the handicap).

“We’ve got to treat him like a decent horse and when you win a race like that, you have to treat them like a good horse and work back from the right races.”

It was a case of keeping it within the family for Ismail Mohammed after Magic Effort pulled a surprise out of the hat in the Scorthy Champ Standing At Barton British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

The hometown handler trained the youngster’s sire Good Effort to win three times at Listed level and now his eye is on Royal Ascot with his offspring who held off Richard Hannon’s Call Me Tomorrow for a 20-1 shock.

Mohammed said: “She was training well and it’s great for the sire. Good Effort was a baby with me and now he has retired it’s great to see his daughter do well.

“The plan is to go to Royal Ascot and she’s good, she has plenty of speed and there could be more to come. We could go directly there and she could run over five or six furlongs.”

Elsewhere on the card, John and Thady Gosden’s So Regal (6-5 favourite) marked herself out as a filly to keep on the right side of when opening her account at the second attempt in the Molson Coors British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

John Gosden said: “She’s a lovely filly who was learning all the way. It was only the second run of her life but I liked the way she finished the race.

“Ryan (Moore) was pleased with her and he just nursed her home, he never asked her any serious questions.

“It’s (wind) gusting around there and it was her first race on grass so I was really pleased with her and it was a really good run.

“She’s trained nicely and we’re just going to go smallish steps and we may look to a conditions race or a novice with a penalty. She’s a nice type of filly with a touch of quality.”