King Power Racing look to have a smart colt on their hands for the rest of the Flat season after the Tim Easterby-trained Art Power bolted up by five and a half lengths as racing resumed at Newcastle on Monday.
The three-year-old, who had secured his first career success by a similar margin at York in October, made all under King Power’s retained rider Silvestre de Sousa.
By Dark Angel out of the Keltos mare Evening Time, Art Power is well regarded by his connections, as he holds an entry in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot later this month.
De Sousa said: “He’s a nice horse and Tim thinks a lot of him. He’s got some classy entries, but he had to prove he could do it.
“He had a big weight today. Mentally he’s not there yet, he’s still a big baby, going into the gate he didn’t know who he was and on pulling up he was waiting for the others. There’s a lot of improvement in him. He’s a fast horse and coming back to five [furlongs] would be no problem.”
Earlier in the day, trainer Roger Fell had the distinction of saddling the first winner at a UK racetrack since March 17 when 22-1 shot Zodiakos got the better of stablemate Al Ozzdi in the Betway Welcome Back British Racing Handicap that opened the card.
Winning jockey James Sullivan said: “It’s very nice to get the first winner. I’m blowing a bit as obviously it’s the first time I’ve ridden in a race for a while and it was hard work from three-and-a-half out, but in fairness to Roger he had him very fit, he was spot on for today.
“Hopefully that will have blown away the cobwebs. In this heat today, riding in the mask, it is very warm and after pulling up I pulled it down a little just to get a few breaths in. It wasn’t too bad, though, it’s manageable and it’s the sort of thing that in a week you won’t even notice it.
“The track is riding very deep today and it helped at the end as he outstayed the other horse. Al Ozzdi got by me but in the last 100 yards his stamina kicked in.”
Frankel sired the winner of both divisions of the Betway Maiden Stakes (1m2f) as Anthony Oppenheimer’s homebred filly Frankly Darling justified favouritism in the first division while the second division went the way of the Roger Varian-trained debutant Valyrian Steel.
There was a sad postscript to the 1m4f Betway Handicap, won by the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Alignak, when the Phil Kirby-trained December Second fell and brought down Financial Conduct in the home straight. Unfortunately, December Second was fatally injured.
