Progressive Rating wins competitive Heritage Handicap at Newmarket July Festival

Progressive Rating made virtually all of the running to land the bet365 Heritage Handicap over 6f at Newmarket this afternoon. Given a positive ride by in form jockey Callum Shepherd, the 3yo son of Bated Breath raced prominently in the centre of the track. Progressive Rating travelled smoothly through the race and was always doing enough to hold off Exceptional by half a length, with Dancin Inthestreet finished back in third.

The horse is trained by William Knight who commented after the race ‘We thought Progressive Rating was a smart horse last year and he just had a bit of a hold up before this season, so I thought we were coming here with him a bit short today. He coped with the ground really well, that’s definitely his distance and I think he could well be a stakes horse in the making. He should come on a lot for the race and we’ll see what the handicapper does, as I suspect he’ll clobber him and that might move us out of handicaps anyway’.

Progressive Rating is now the winner of three races. Lillingston Bloodstock purchased a 50% share in Progressive Rating after winning his maiden at Kempton. He has since won at Wolverhampton and improved significantly to win at Newmarket. The Stewards Cup at Glorious Goodwood could be his next start. Many congratulations to his owner Philip Chan.