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Rockingham Stakes: Canonized takes top York prize under Tom Marquand to cap busy campaign for William Haggas

Canonized wins for fourth time this year in 11th start of the season for trainer William Haggas; two-year-old filly beats Witch Hunter, Breeze Easy and Ever Given to take Listed Rockingham Stakes at York

William Haggas
Image: William Haggas landed the Listed Rockingham Stakes at York with Canonized

Canonized signed off her busy season with a Listed victory in the Coral Beaten-By-A-Length Free Bet Rockingham Stakes at York.

William Haggas' filly was last seen finishing a neck runner-up in the Group Three Firth Of Clyde Fillies' Stakes at Ayr in September, when she was running for the second day in succession, and has gone close in a string of black-type contests throughout her 2021 campaign.

This time she was not for beating, battling up the centre of the track under Tom Marquand to prevail by three-quarters of a length at 7-2 from Witch Hunter.

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"She's a consistent filly and she deserves to have a good race next to her name," said Marquand, who became York's leading jockey for the season following the success.

"She had to be very tough there, but of course she went to Ayr on the Friday and the Saturday and justified that when she only just got beat in a Group Three.

"It's very well deserved - and she's done well to win because it's quite testing ground, and she's not a big filly."

"I was looking forward to riding her because she's so consistent, and Mr Haggas loves having a winner at York."

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Bay Bridge returned from a lengthy absence to score an impressive victory in the Play Coral Racing-Super-Series For Free Handicap, for Richard Kingscote and Sir Michael Stoute.

The three-year-old was an easy winner of two early-season contests, taking a novice by five lengths and a handicap by four before a 147-day break during the height of the season.

Starting as the 15-8 favourite despite this spell away from the track, the colt showed he had lost none of his ability when triumphing by half a length on the Knavesmire.

"He's been progressing very well," said Kingscote."He's had a bit of a break and he had a nice smooth run round there - that was good, and he's done absolutely nothing wrong."

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Oh Herberts Reign made a winning handicap debut when taking the Watch Racing Free Online At Coral Nursery Handicap for Dane O'Neill and Richard Hannon.

The Acclamation colt was a novice winner earlier in the season but was well beaten when 10th in the Weatherbys Scientific £200,000 2-Y-O Stakes at Doncaster.

This step up to a mile saw him triumph at 16-1, crossing the line two and a quarter lengths ahead of Caio Shark.

Volatile Analyst won York's Coral Sprint Trophy Handicap for Scotland after final-furlong drama on the Knavesmire.

Keith Dalgleish's gelding started at 11-1 and was returning to the scene of his last triumph, a seven-furlong handicap success in May.

Ridden by Callum Rodriguez, the four-year-old ran prominently and was clear of his rivals approaching the last furlong but began to hang towards the rail and briefly blocked the path taken by Ado McGuinness' 11-2 favourite Laugh A Minute.

Dalgleish's runner crossed the line half a length ahead of Laugh A Minute but was subject to a stewards' enquiry for possible interference.

It was announced, however, that the placings remained unchanged, and Rodriguez said: "He's obviously a very talented horse.

"He loves soft ground, and it's nice that he's got a big pot here today.

"He's deserved that. He stays seven (furlongs) as well, but he's clearly got enough speed to come back to the six today."

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