Tabor's Salford City Wins Greenham at Newbury

Salford City won Saturday's Lane's End Greenham Stakes (Eng-III) for 3-year-olds at Newbury and became one of the early favorites for the 2,000 Guineas for new owner Michael Tabor.

"It's time for dreaming," trainer David Elsworth told The Racing Post after the son of Desert Sun defeated Fokine and So Will I by three-quarters of a length in the seven-furlong test.

Salford City went from last to first for jockey Johnny Murtagh. After a slow break, he was shaken up a quarter-mile from home and ridden to the lead in the final 100 yards.

Salford City becomes one of the leading contenders to division favorite One Cool Cat, the Aidan O'Brien-trained colt in whom Tabor has half interest. Tabor bought Salford City earlier this year.

The veteran conditioner Elsworth has never won a British Classic.

"He is a horse who needs every yard of seven furlongs but he settles well, switches off and quickens," Elsworth said. "Today he fell out of the stalls, he was last and came through the middle of the field and he learned a lot. On hindsight I'm glad he did go though them because this is a horse that lacks racing experience."

The final time on the straight over good going was 1:26.97. Fokine edged So Will I by a shoulder for second. American-bred Fort Dignity was fourth in the field of 10.

In other group action at Newbury Saturday, Jaber Abdullah's English-bred Majestic Desert won the Dubai Duty Free Fred Darling Stakes (Eng-III) for 3-year-old fillies with Kieren Fallon in the irons. The Mick Channon-trained daughter of Fraam defeated Nyramba by a length.

The Dubai Irish Village John Porter Stakes (Eng-III) went to Maktoum Al Maktoum's Dubai Success, who edged Gamut by a shoulder in the 1 1/2-mile test for older horses. The British-bred 4-year-old son of Sadler's Wells, trained by Richard Hills and ridden by Michael Hills, formerly raced for Godolphin.