By Tom Frary
Highclere Stud's Land Force (Ire) (by No Nay Never) was the latest first-season sire to get off the mark on Friday as The King and Queen's Serried Ranks (GB) scored on debut in Nottingham's five-furlong Watch On Racing TV Maiden S. Tracking the early pace under Rob Hornby, the Ralph Beckett-trained 7-2 shot mastered the 4-6 favourite Desert Master (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}) approaching the furlong pole before staying on strongly to beat that rival by 3 3/4 lengths.
“He'll be better over six–he's a laid-back horse and he needed to be kept interested but galloped out strongly once he figured out what to do,” his rider said of the son of the dual listed-placed Pack Together (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}). “It was a case of keeping him racing and competitive and that's how he's been trained at home. He's a big strong and heavy colt and all there. He's shown a bit of class and this is a minimum trip for him–he's done that on raw ability.”
Hats off!
We have a royal winner as Serried Ranks scores for HM The King & HM The Queen in the opener at @NottsRacecourse.
The Land Force colt looks a nice type too in an impressive debut for @RalphBeckett 🏇 pic.twitter.com/TjVc4HQHqI
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 12, 2023
The dam, who was placed in four listed contests, is a half to the dam of the dual Argentinian group 1 winner Victor Security (Arg) (Stormy Atlantic). The second dam is the stakes-placed New Assembly (Ire) (Machiavellian), a full-sister to the G1 Dubai Duty Free hero Right Approach (GB) related to The Queen's high-class runner and producer Highclere (GB). Pack Together's yearling filly is by Cable Bay (Ire).
1st-Nottingham, £6,895, Mdn, 5-12, 2yo, 5f 8yT, 1:06.72, hy.
SERRIED RANKS (GB) (c, 2, Land Force {Ire}–Pack Together {GB} {MSP-Eng, SP-Fr}, by Paco Boy {Ire}) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $4,516. O-HM The King & HM The Queen; B-The Queen (GB); T-Ralph Beckett.
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