Having passed the milestone of 100 winners for the season last week it was pleasing to see that the horses remain in rude health and the winners continue to flow with an across the card double at Nottingham and Kempton.
Jim Crowley partnered Eshaada for her debut over the extended mile at Nottingham on Wednesday where the soft ground proved no inconvenience for this rangey daughter of Muhaarar as she got off the mark in good style. The field got to work quite a long way from home and Eshaada, with the benefit of the rail, found plenty for pressure and won a little cosily in the end even though the winning distance was only a neck.
She is a half-sister to the four-time winner and stablemate Mutamaasik who was unlucky not to get his head in front this season having finished third in the Buckingham Palace Handicap at Royal Ascot. He now heads to Dubai to continue his career with Doug Watson. Eshaada will most likely be given a winter break now before returning next spring and we look forward to seeing what she can achieve with a winter under her belt.
At Kempton later on in the afternoon Famille Rose was well-backed to finally break her maiden having shown very decent form in five previous racecourse appearances. She jumped smartly from the gate, but having received a bump early on she was shuffled back a little further than ideal. Andrea had every confidence in the filly and he took his time to ease the filly into the race. She came under a drive rounding the home bend, but as in many of her previous races she found plenty for pressure and always looked likely to wear down River Chorus who was making a bid for victory with a strong run in the straight.
Famille Rose and Andrea Atzeni get on top inside the final furlong at Kempton
Famille Rose has a brilliant pedigree as she descends from an Aga Khan family. Her half-sister by Oasis Dream won the G3 Prix de Lieurey and was placed second in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet over 1m2f, so you would have every confidence that she can progress over distances beyond this 7f trip next season.