Ashes fever is spreading to racing and one focus of excitement is where a filly named Elysium Dream will run next – because she could well bring along to the track three of her owners plus teammates. Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson and Eoin Morgan are the stalwarts of The Racing Cricketers & Partner, the syndicate whose colours she runs in.
The trio are regular racegoers and are often accompanied by Jonny Bairstow. Ben Stokes has also been seen in their company trackside. After Headingley’s Ashes Test spectacular, there would be a huge buzz at any race meeting attended by Stokes & co. That could be soon.
Elysium Dream recently arrived back in training at Richard Hannon’s Marlborough stables. Johnno Spence, a Turf PR specialist and a friend of the cricketing syndicate, said on Monday the filly recently had a summer break. “She’s been back in training at Richard’s for about 10 days and the plan would be for her to be back on a racecourse whenever she’s ready. They bought her just over two years ago and have had tremendous fun. They go racing as often as they can.”
The trio invariably try to attend Royal Ascot. And at the Cheltenham Festival in March they were in the company of Love Island’s Chris Hughes, an ambassador for Coral.
Win and place prize money of £118,000 has so far been earned by the four-year-old, who has run 23 times. She has won three races – at Windsor, Newmarket and Brighton. The Newmarket victory, in a valuable auction stakes, earned her syndicate more than £81,000.
Stokes fever has gripped the country. Paul Nicholls has quickly reserved the horse name Onethreefivenotout in honour of Stokes’s big innings. “I was watching the match at home, like most people across the country, and I just thought it would be great to get in quickly and reserve the name,” Nicholls told PA. “I haven’t actually committed the name to a particular horse yet. We’ll sit on the fence for the time being.”
Officials at Carlisle racecourse do not want to be left out either. Molly Dingwall, Carlisle’s general manager, said: “I’m not a big cricket fan, to be honest, but I got massively into it over the weekend. I believe Ben Stokes moved up here when he was around 12 and grew up in the Carlisle region.
“To watch any sportsman do what he did on Sunday is just phenomenal, and it’s just an added extra from our point of view that he was brought up in the area. Anyone with the name ‘Ben’ or ‘Stokes’ in their name will get free entry to Thursday’s meeting and anyone who has already purchased tickets will be refunded if they come with a valid ID.”
At Bath on Tuesday, War Of Succession (6.50) appeals. The Tony Newcombe-trained five-year-old won on firm ground over course and distance last September, and again showed fast ground at this track is up his street when second (over C&D) there last month. Marco Ghiani, who claims 7lb, is apprenticed to Stuart Williams at Newmarket and has shown skill in the nine winners he has ridden so far this season.
Earlier on the card, Airbrush (5.20) is reunited with Oisin Murphy following the partnership’s second at Brighton three weeks ago. They look the likely winners of Bath’s nursery.
Ripon 1.55 Ultra Violet 2.30 Knightly Spirit 3.00 Breguet Man 3.35 Aiya 4.05 Galloway Hills 4.35 Morning Duel 5.05 Clearance
Epsom 2.10 Good Job Power 2.45 Baptism 3.15 Count Otto 3.50 Peace Prevails 4.20 Key Player 4.55 Grange Walk 5.25 Geneva Spur
Bath 4.45 Sacred Sprite 5.20 Airbrush (nb) 5.50 Lucky Number 6.20 Alandalos 6.50 War Of Succession (nap) 7.20 Whisper Abroad 7.50 Princely
Musselburgh 5.00 Red Treble 5.30 Percy Green 6.00 Our Charlie Brown 6.30 Ghayyar 7.00 War Ensign 7.30 Jack Randall 8.00 Acclamatio