Bounce The Blues bags Sceptre success after Doncaster battle

Bounce The Blues narrowly outpointed Umm Kulthum in a thrilling climax to the Japan Racing Association Sceptre Fillies’ Stakes at Doncaster.

Group Three honours were up for grabs in the seven-furlong contest, with Peter Schiergen’s Novemba the 3-1 favourite to take the lion’s share of the £80,000 prize fund back to Germany.

But after cutting out much of the running, the four-year-old faded tamely and was ultimately well beaten in ninth place.

Just as Novemba’s challenge was petering out, Nizaaka quickened up smartly to move into a clear lead, but she wandered under pressure and was unable to hold off the challenge of both Andrew Balding’s Bounce The Blues and the Richard Fahey-trained Umm Kulthum in the heat of the battle.

There was little to choose between the latter pair as the post loomed, with both horses and jockeys fighting tooth and nail, but it was Bounce Of Blues who just won the day by a neck under William Buick.

Romantic Rival, a widely unconsidered 150-1 shot, made late gains to beat Nizaaka to third place.

Buick said: “She was tough there, she went through the gears nicely and the race opened up nicely for her as well.

“She’s run some nice races, she ran well here two years ago, everything was ideal for her today. She was really tough.

“She has black type now and that’s what they wanted. I don’t know what the plans will be, but that’s very valuable for her.”