The considerable logistical effort that went into switching a valuable meeting from Berkshire to Essex at less than 24 hours’ notice was rewarded at Chelmsford City racecourse, as the Greenham Stakes card rerouted from waterlogged Newbury produced several good finishes.
Only three horses went to post for the Greenham but the result was in doubt until the final stride as Tasleet held off the determined challenge of Knife Edge by a short head. Neither horse is an obvious addition to the list of 2,000 Guineas winners, though Tasleet could yet go to Newmarket in two weeks’ time if Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum, his owner, does not have a more obvious contender.
Richard Hannon’s Marenko, already a winner on the all-weather this year, was a convincing winner of the Group Three Fred Darling Stakes, with her stablemate Light Up Our World in second place. Besharah, a leading juvenile in 2015 and the 2-1 favourite to make a winning return, was only third.
Marenko is not entered for the 1,000 Guineas and though she could yet be added at the supplementary stage, Hannon may point her instead towards Group One targets later in the season.
“They are two nice fillies and the second one will improve massively when she goes up to a mile-and-a-quarter,” Hannon said.
“Well done to everyone for putting this meeting on. We need these races and they come at a vital time. I believe the winner might turn into a Sun Chariot filly by the end of the year. We could supplement her for the Guineas but we’ll sleep on it.”
