Pensando A Te sparks Classic dreams for Marco Botti

Pensando A Te got up in the very last stride for Marco Botti and Silvestre de Sousa to deny Light Of Dawn victory in the Betway Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket.

The Karl Burke-trained Light Of Dawn was the 5-2 favourite for the Group Two contest after winning the Group Three Prestige Stakes at Goodwood last month, with John and Thady Gosden’s previously unbeaten filly Spirited Gesture rated her biggest threat.

Pensando A Te, who finished second to the reopposing Speed Of Sound on her Yarmouth debut before going one better at Ascot, was sent off at 15-2 in the hands of De Sousa, who after a slow start settled his mount at the rear of the nine-runner field, seemingly intent to keep his powder dry for a late run.

The front-running Speed Of Sound and Light Of Dawn were the two vying for the lead hitting the rising ground heading inside the last of seven furlongs, but no sooner had Light Of Dawn won that protracted battle to grab the lead, Pensando A Te came with a flying late run to get up by a short head.

Botti said: “It’s always nice when you have a two-year-old who does well at the back-end of the season. I thought we were maybe rushing her on a little bit, but we always thought we had a nice filly.

“We were confident when she ran first time out and she ran a good race and she’s progressed nicely since then. At Ascot I thought she did it nicely in a small field and today stepping up to seven furlongs the plan was to get her settled and come with a late run.

“I didn’t think she had got there and my first impression was we got beat. She’s a nice filly for next year.”

The Newmarket-based Italian will spend the winter months dreaming of a 1000 Guineas bid with his new star filly, quoted at 20-1 shot by Coral for Classic glory.

Botti added: “She has the ability to be a Classic horse. There is a lot of speed in the family, but it was nice to see her settle well in the pack and that probably will help her get the extra furlong for the mile.

“I think we’ll train her with a view to being a Classic filly next year and see how she does through the winter. I’m sure that will be her now (finished) for the year and we’ll give her a nice break. She’s still a little on the weak side and not the finished article.

“I’m sure we’ll start her in a trial and it would be nice to have one for the Guineas.”

Light Of Dawn, who carries the Wathnan Racing colours, just held on for second from the fast-finishing Ruby Moon.

Wathnan’s racing adviser Richard Brown said: “She’s run a blinder and James (Doyle) said she wasn’t enjoying the ground, so all credit to her for nearly pulling it off and it was a big run.

“We’ll put her away now and there’s a chance she gets the mile next year without it being certain. That’s the road we’ll go down and in my mind I would maybe be thinking France (Guineas).

“We’ll see how she is in the spring after a long winter before thinking of trials. She’s shot up behind and is going to grow and level off. I’m sure she’ll do well over the winter and then we’ll take things from there.”