4 hours ago
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Tom Marquand showed just why he has been entrusted by Aidan O'Brien with the ride on red-hot St Leger favourite Scandinavia when driving Santorini Star back up to win the Betfred Park Hill Fillies' Stakes at Doncaster.
William Haggas' four-year-old faced a significant step up in class for the Group Two feature following a handicap success at York three weeks ago, but she handled it with aplomb.
On the front end throughout in a race known colloquially as the 'fillies' St Leger', the 7/2 shot had to deal with the unwanted attentions of Chorus on her inside and then Danielle on her outer with two furlongs to run and both appeared to be travelling better.
But Marquand had saved plenty and saw both of those challenges off, before Luke Morris loomed up on Sir Mark Prescott's Consent.
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Consent just about got her white head in front, only for Santorini Star, to her immense credit, to find plenty for pressure and went on again to win by a neck to continue the yard's excellent form.
Marquand said: "She comes off the bridle quite early, but you never really feel in trouble and I always feel like the first flick you give her will give you a good indication of what she's going to do.
"I gave her that first flick today and I thought the Prescott filly would have to be good to beat her. She stays really well, she's tough in the finish and she enjoyed that ground.
"It was a big step up from a handicap win at York, but she's really finding her mojo and her legs now.
"She's gone up a big notch to win a Group Two and there are plenty of options for her over a mile and six [furlongs] or two miles or even further if you wanted to - she's an exciting filly."
Santorini Star carries the colours of Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy, and Bloom's racing manager Sean Graham said: "She won a handicap over two miles at York last time and it was always a slight concern coming back to a mile and six and half a furlongs - and I think the half a furlong definitely helped us there!
"It's a Group Two win now and I don't know what plans William might have for her for the rest of the year, but certainly you'd like to think she could turn into a Cup filly next year over two miles because she stays so well.
"Tom was very complimentary about her, he said she kept finding, put her head down and didn't stop and that's what you need.
"We expected her to run well today, but to see her go and win like that is a bonus."
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