Rainbow shines brightest of them all to get off the mark at Newmarket

Cullenagh Rainbow put her previous experience to good use when leaving her rivals in the shade to land the Triple Time Maiden Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

After out running her 80-1 odds on her debut at Kempton Park, the Denis Barry-owned filly built on that effort when going two places better on her first start on grass in the seven furlong prize.

Always to the fore of matters, the daughter of Ghaiyyath showed a commendable attitude late on under Rossa Ryan before defeating newcomer Probing by a neck.

Alan said: “It wasn’t the plan to be handy, but the others were a bit green. She settled in front, but she does quite a lot of work at home on her own.

“She got a little bit revved up after Kempton Park, hence the hood going on. We could have gone back on the all-weather with her, but we haven’t been on the grass since the breeze-up sale.

“I spoke to Denis (Barry, owner) last week and said let’s try and run her on the grass if we can so we decided to come here and I’m delighted with that.

“The Kempton Park form has worked out well. We will see how she comes out of it as to whether she runs again this year.

“I wouldn’t be in any rush to go up in trip at the moment. I don’t think she wants more than a mile. I think she is pretty smart.”

Twenty four hours before Cullenagh Rainbow tasted victory on the Rowley Mile, stablemate Spyce graced the track in the bet365 Old Rowley Cup.

In a race that few got into, the son of Too Darn Hot, who was making his first start over a mile and a half, stayed on well enough from the rear of the field to take fourth after just being edged out in a photo for third by Decade Of Time.

Alan said: “He is going to be gelded and we might go hurdling with him now. I thought he should have been third in the Old Rowley Cup. He is still a lovely horse, and he ran well, but I’m sure that he is better than that.

“I still think he should have been third as he had every chance to go past the Jack Channon horse (Decade Of Time). He has just got a bit colty at home.

“If he doesn’t go hurdling he will be a lovely four-year-old for the Flat. Daiquiri Bay was third in this race last season, and we have seen what he has done this year.”