Distant Storm just edged out Constitution River in the usually-informative Weatherbys British EBF Maiden Stakes at Newmarket.
Won 12 months ago by Field Of Gold, a host of other subsequent Group-race performers have been successful in the seven-furlong contest and the first two home both had their supporters.
Distant Storm (5-6 favourite) cost €1.9million at the Arqana breeze-up and the Night Of Thunder colt boasts an exceptional pedigree as the penultimate foal of the mare Date With Destiny, who in turn was the sole progeny of multiple Group One winner George Washington.
He had to prove he was tough as well as classy to see off Aidan O’Brien’s Wootton Bassett colt Constitution River, but Distant Storm managed to win by a short head to provide Charlie Appleby and William Buick with another July meeting winner.
The front two were well clear of the rest, and Appleby said: “We came here with confidence – he’s been a very straightforward horse to deal with.
“Obviously he was bought from the Arqana breeze-up, so you would expect them to know a little bit more and he has a pedigree to get excited about, but as an individual he’s a very normal horse.
“He’s not flashy and doesn’t draw attention to himself, he just goes out and does what he’s asked to do and in a nice manner, so hopefully he’s a horse that will mentally progress quicker than some of those buzzy ones.
“The first two pulled nicely clear and he’ll have learned plenty today. We’ll give him a bit of time as he’s unfurnished still and he needs to strengthen before you pitch them in that (Group One) level as if you pitch them in too soon or before they’re ready, you will go quickly backwards.”
Appleby could now look to next month’s Ebor meeting at York with Distant Storm, adding: “There’ll be races we can dip our toe in and allow him to progress – with his mindset he might be an Acomb Stakes horse maybe.
“If he goes and ticks the next box, then you have a chance of looking towards a Group One target.”
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Aidan O’Brien could look to France for a Group One-winning opportunity for January after the filly narrowly missed out in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket.
In receipt of 9lb from the winner Cinderella’s Dream, the three-year-old January was beaten just half a length, adding another top-level placing to her record after taking third in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Despite seeing his 6-4 favourite eclipsed, O’Brien is confident the Kingman filly is on the right track, with the Prix Rothschild at Deauville on August 3 pencilled in as a possible target.
O’Brien said: “She ran a lovely race, she is improving and we think there’s more improvement to come from her.
“She’s a lot of ability this filly and it’s coming. She’s definitely a miler – she’s quick. We’re getting there – she’s slowly getting closer.
“She ran a great race and we think we’re on the right road.
“There’s the fillies’ race in Deauville in a few weeks’ time, so we might look at that for her.”
Connections of Crimson Advocate also hope their filly will eventually strike Group One gold, having seen a length-and-three-quarters defeat of Cinderella’s Dream at Royal Ascot reversed off level weights here.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained runner was beaten two and a quarter lengths on the July course, with Richard Brown, the racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing, feeling the contest had perhaps not unfolded in her favour.
He said: “There wasn’t a huge amount of early pace and more pace would have meant she could have been snaffled into it a little bit more, but she’s run a very good race.
“We haven’t made any plans, we’ll go away and have a think about it.
“She’s run a great race and I hope she can have her day in one of these (Group Ones).”
Crimson Advocate is entered in both the seven-furlong Lennox Stakes and the mile-and-a-quarter Nassau Stakes at Goodwood later this month and Brown added: “We’ll take her home and see how she comes out of it and then plot for the second half of the season.”
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Aidan O’Brien’s Italy is already prominent in the betting for next season’s Classics after just one run, so a big performance is expected in the bet365 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.
Two years ago City Of Troy burst into the big-race picture when beating Haatem by over six lengths in this race – and the suggestions are that Italy could produce something similar.
The imposing Wootton Bassett colt eventually got going to win cosily on his debut at Leopardstown from Thesecretadversary, who franked the form by running well in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot.
O’Brien said: “We’re looking forward to him. He’s a lovely horse, we think he’s come forward from his maiden and we’re looking forward to seeing what he’ll do on Saturday.
“The horse that was second to him in Leopardstown was second in Ascot, so hopefully he’ll run well.”
Saba Desert is one of two runners for Charlie Appleby and the once-raced Dubawi colt is the choice of William Buick.
Appleby has won the race five times since 2016, including last year with Ancient Truth.
“He won well at Sandown. It looks a good Superlative and as always it’s full of potential, but he’s a nice horse, he should have improved for Sandown and we’ll know where we are come Saturday afternoon,” said Buick.
“Charlie always earmarks the Superlative as a race where he wants to run his nicer two-year-olds, so it’s not hard to come to a conclusion that he’s one of the nicer ones and he’s only had the one run, so he’s a horse that’s got plenty of improvement left in him.
“He took on experienced horses at Sandown, I thought he did it very well and couldn’t do any more than what he did.
“It looks a substantial field and the winner of the Superlative will always go on to do good things – you usually see them end up in the Dewhurst.”
Wild Desert is Appleby’s other runner, who having won by five lengths on his debut was then beaten under a penalty last time out by another stablemate in Pacific Avenue.
George Boughey’s Moonfall finished behind two other Appleby juveniles on his first two outings before opening his account at Newbury.
Boughey told Star Sports: “The programme fits itself for a horse like him. He’s rated 90, and we’d like to try to turn him into a stakes horse. He could have gone to the nursery at Goodwood, but his work has been very solid.
“He’s a horse who wants seven furlongs and he’s just ready to run again. I thought waiting three weeks for Goodwood was probably too long, so I’m looking forward to seeing him step up in grade here.”
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Cinderella’s Dream emerged best of a three-way battle for Group One honours in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket.
Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, Cinderella’s Dream needed to reverse Royal Ascot form with her Duke of Cambridge Stakes conqueror Crimson Advocate, while Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old January provided a fresh test for the Godolphin runner.
Cinderella’s Dream (5-2) looked the have the measure of Crimson Advocate only for January (6-4 favourite) to deliver her challenge, with Buick’s mount battling all the way to the line to prevail by half a length, with a length and three-quarters back to Crimson Advocate in third.
“I did think when she hit the rising ground it would take a tough one to get past her,” said Appleby, who was winning the Falmouth for the first time.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t know if she was firing on all cylinders at Ascot. We always look for excuses when we’re beaten so we used the bend and the 3lb penalty, but she’s been round Del Mar and you ain’t going to get many tighter turns than that, so I don’t think we can say going round Ascot was going to be too much of a challenge for her.
“Will was just happy over a mile on a straight track as maybe a mile round a bend is sharp enough.
“She won her maiden at Lingfield and then we went up to Thirsk to win her novice. She’s knee high to a grasshopper but she’s as tough as teak and I’m delighted for her as she’s been so consistent and for her to win a Group One here in Europe is richly deserved.
“We’re very much going to work back from the Breeders’ Cup Filly And Mare Turf. It annoyed me when that got away for us last year, so we’ll go back for a crack at that, how we get there we’ll work that out.”
Buick said: “She’s all class. She’s been unlucky a couple of times, but today she’s put it all together.
“What a game filly she is, it was a ding-dong between two good fillies, it was a good race and she had give the second filly 9lb, it’s never easy.
“I’m just so pleased for her, she’s been a wonderful filly all through and I’m just delighted she’s got a domestic Group One next to her name.”
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Billy Loughnane rode Sayidah Dariyan with plenty of confidence and the filly delivered in style in the William Hill Summer Stakes at York.
The Richard Hughes-trained three-year-old was sent off the 9-4 favourite on the back of her run at Royal Ascot when she was fourth, beaten just over a length, in the Group One Commonwealth Cup.
Dropped in class to a Group Three and back in against her own sex, the 9-4 favourite could be spotted travelling ominously well with two furlongs to run but she had a wall of horses in front of her.
Loughnane managed to weave his way through the pack to take up the running and the race was over in a matter of strides.
Nighteyes, who herself had outrun market expectations in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Ascot, stayed on for a length-and-a-half second, catching the returning Celandine, last year’s Lowther winner who was making her first start of the season.
Loughnane told Racing TV: “Richard told me to be as confident as I could on her as she relaxes lovely behind, she conserves so much energy and she’s got an electric turn of foot when you let her down.
“She ran well at Ascot but I’ll leave future placing to Richard and the team. She’s in great nick and is definitely a filly on the up.
“She’s got the best mind ever. She yawns in the gate and when they open she gets down to it.
“To be honest I’d have liked a smoother passage through, but I just had to wait. It probably did me a favour as it meant I didn’t get there too soon.”
It capped a good 10 minutes for Hughes who also won at Ascot with Sayidah Hard Spun.
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Venetian Sun narrowly held off the late charge of Royal Fixation to win the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket and in the process take her unbeaten record to three.
Sent off the 2-5 favourite after a convincing Albany Stakes success at Royal Ascot, Venetian Sun travelled supremely well throughout the six-furlong Group Two and when Clifford Lee asked her to quicken, it looked a matter of how far.
Royal Fixation and William Buick had other ideas though, launching their challenge away from the market leader in the final furlong, with Venetian Sun’s margin only a neck in the end, although there was still a slightly cosy feel to it.
The Karl Burke-trained winner was left an unchanged 14-1 shot for next year’s 1000 Guineas by Paddy Power.
Burke said: “This race wasn’t part of the plan originally, we just made a decision last week to enter and have a look at the race and if we were happy with the filly and happy with the race then we might take our chance.
“There’s been no issues with the filly, but we haven’t trained her for this race – we’ve been fairly easy on her since Ascot, as you would expect, with the thought that we’d go for the Lowther at York or maybe the Prix Morny.
“Now she’s won a Group Two that brings the Morny into it more than the Lowther. We won’t say we’re definitely going to the Morny, but if the ground is a bit easier and it’s a race we think we can be very competitive in we could go there and still have time to get her ready for the Moyglare.
“If we’re not happy with her for the Morny, we’ll go straight to the Moyglare.”
Venetian Sun and jockey Clifford Lee after winning the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket (Joe Giddens/PA)
Burke completed the Albany/Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes double with Dandalla five years ago, while Laurens and Fallen Angel were both Classic-winning fillies for the Spigot Lodge handler, who has made no secret of the regard in which he holds his latest potential star.
“I would say she’s another league above Dandalla, who was a very good racehorse but this filly is a little bit special,” he added.
“She’d be quicker than Laurens and Fallen Angel. They were high-class, Group One-winning fillies and this filly hasn’t done that yet, but she’d be a lot quicker and she’s a very straightforward filly with a fantastic mind.”
Ed Walker was delighted with the performance of runner-up Royal Fixation.
He said: “I’m very proud of her. You come in here off the back of a Thirsk maiden and you don’t really know how good you are, but she’s very good.
“It would have been disappointing if she had run badly as we rate her very highly among our two-year-olds, but to run that filly (Venetian Sun) as close as we did is pretty exciting because I think she’s a very special filly.
“Briefly I thought we might get there. I could just sense from Will’s body language that he thought he had a chance.
“I think she was a bit green. She never came off the bridle at Thirsk so today is the first time she’s had a proper race. There’s lots more to come, I’d say.
“I don’t know where we’ll go next – I’ll have a cold beer and worry about that later. The Lowther has got to be a potential target.”
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Charlie Appleby and William Buick picked up where they left off on day two of the July Festival at Newmarket, with King’s Charter swooping late to land the £100,000 Bet365 Handicap.
Following a Thursday treble for the Moulton Paddocks team that featured Buick’s 2,000th winner in Britain, King’s Charter was the 9-4 favourite for Friday’s curtain-raiser, having opened his account at the third attempt on his first start as a three-year-old at Doncaster last month.
Charlie Johnston’s Marhaba Ghaiyyath kicked for home a long way out and proved a tough adversary, but Buick timed his challenge to perfection aboard King’s Charter, who just proved speedier in the finish and passed the post with three-quarters of a length in hand.
Appleby said: “We felt the step up to 10 furlongs would hopefully see a bit of improvement, which was going to be needed at a meeting like this, and he’s duly obliged with that.
“I’d probably say he’s still a handicapping type at the moment. We’ll see what the handicapper does and see where he lines up with (going to) Meydan.
“It’s that time of year – from July onwards we start to put our team together for Meydan. Whether he’s a horse that fits that bill, we’ll see.
“Is he a Group horse? Probably not really, but he’s a nice handicapper.”
Appleby and Buick were denied a double in the other £100,000 handicap on the card after Endless Victory was reeled in by Oneforthegutter (12-1) in the bet365 Trophy.
The winner would have been an unlucky loser with Silvestre de Sousa all locked up with nowhere to go at one stage – but when he brought Ian Williams’ charge, who had been second in the race last year, down the centre of the track he quickened up to win by half a length.
Williams also saddled the third home Real Dream, while his 11-4 favourite Dancing In Paris weakened into eighth place after making much of the running.
The trainer said: “Unfortunately Dancing In Paris got very keen with Marco (Ghiani) and I was actually tearing my hair out and not really noticing the other two were creeping into the race.
“Oneforthegutter is an amazing little horse. We bought him as a breeze-up, he won his first start as a two-year-old and he’s still going in one-mile-six-furlong races now at six.
“He was a fantastic third in the Ebor last year, the problem is the handicapper is probably going to put up a few pounds now and I didn’t think he was particularly well handicapped coming into today.
“Things will only get tougher for him, but there’s plenty of opportunities for these horses and we’ll make the most of them.”
David O’Meara and Rossa Ryan combined to land the Dubai Racing Club Handicap with Leadman (12-1), with the concluding debenhams.com Handicap going to 17-2 chance Emperor Spirit, trained by Michael Keady and ridden by Marco Ghiani.
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It might be stretching it to say Notable Speech attempts to do an Ajdal in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup, but his presence has certainly added lots of spice to the Newmarket showpiece.
Dewhurst winner Ajdal was miraculously brought back from defeats in the 2000 Guineas and Derby by Sir Michael Stoute to win the sprint championship in 1987, while the following year crack miler Soviet Star shone for Andre Fabre and France.
Royal Academy was another brilliant miler to win the July Cup, and now it is last year’s Guineas hero Notable Speech who gets his chance for Charlie Appleby and William Buick, having so far this year been fourth in both the Lockinge Stakes and Queen Anne.
Buick – on a high this week after recording his 2,000th career success in Britain – said: “I’ll tell you after the race whether it was the correct decision or not!
William Buick is fresh from riding his 2,000th winner (Steven Paston for The Jockey Club)
“He’s only ever raced over a mile and he is a very speedy miler, which the good milers usually are. I’ve always felt he could drop back in trip, certainly to seven furlongs, and I know Charlie has earmarked the City of York as one of his possible targets.
“Obviously we won’t know fully about six furlongs until we try it, but it’s worth a try. He’s a horse with loads of speed and if he can adapt to that early pace and be within himself, I think he’ll be there with a very good shot.”
Reflecting on his Ascot performance, Buick said: “He was unlucky and it was such a nightmare of a race. They went so slow and we were in a pocket and it was just one of those races you couldn’t take too much out of. Sadly, we just had to put a line through it and move on.
“Once the dust settled, Charlie and the team thought long and hard about this race for him and we’ll give it a go.
“It’s a different thing to what he has done. If you go back to the Guineas he won, that was a strongly-run Guineas run at a fast pace throughout and he’s a horse with a high cruising speed, so I hope that he will give himself every chance to travel within himself early in the race, wherever he’s happy.”
Appleby also runs Symbol Of Honour, who had been among the ante-post favourites until his stablemate was supplemented.
The trainer said: “On their home work they’re chalk and cheese, but Symbol Of Honour has always been like that and when he gets on the racecourse he’s just tough – he gets out on the pace and grinds it out.
“Notable Speech, without stating the obvious, is the class horse going into the race.
“When Will got off him at Kempton last year he said the English Guineas might be a bit stiff for him, but obviously he went and won the English Guineas and from there on he’s only ever run over a mile.
“But from what I saw in the Lockinge and although it was hard to assess Ascot because they went steady, he is a supreme traveller and I felt he’s got plenty to gain by running here on Saturday and nothing to lose.”
The ever-growing Wathnan Racing run three, but it was not a hard choice for retained rider James Doyle to pick Andrew Balding’s Flora Of Bermuda following her sterling effort when third at Royal Ascot.
“I haven’t actually had a chance to sit on her recently but I did her ride her before, albeit as a two-year-old,” said Doyle.
“I’m sure she’ll be a little bit different to the last time I sat on her, but I had a good chat with Andrew about whether it was a good idea to come down and he felt she’s very straightforward. He said there are no issues there, he didn’t think.
“Her two wins did come with ease in the ground and I’m sure one day that that might help her, but her best form – her last run and some other bits of form – came on very quick ground.
“When she ran behind Kind Of Blue there was plenty of ease in the ground but she’s shown to be very versatile.
“I don’t think it’s too much of a worry and she’s not a big, heavy filly, she’s quite light on her feet.”
Wathnan are also represented by Karl Burke’s Night Raider and the Tom Clover-trained Rogue Lightning.
Whistlejacket has winning form on the July course (Joe Giddens/PA)
Aidan O’Brien last won the race in 2019 with Ten Sovereigns and 12 months prior to that with another three-year-old, US Navy Flag. He runs Whistlejacket from the Classic generation this year.
Paul Smith of owners Coolmore said: “He’s working very well at home, but I see the money is coming for him and I don’t know where that money is coming from.
“He’s in good form, he’s a quality horse and was a good two-year-old, so we’re looking forward to seeing him run on Saturday.”
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When Julie Camacho recruited Naqeeb she had her eyes set on plundering a major prize at York – but it was not the John Smith’s Cup.
However, the former William Haggas-trained inmate has been displaying more speed than he had for former connections so instead of looking at the Ebor next month over a mile and three-quarters, he heads to the Knavesmire on Saturday over 10 furlongs.
Third at Royal Ascot in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes over a mile and a half, Malton-based Camacho feels they have nothing to lose by running the half-brother to Group One winners Baaeed and Hukum in the £200,000 feature.
“We’d bought him originally to be an Ebor horse. But we haven’t put him in and decided we want to try a mile and a quarter,” she said.
“We were delighted with his run at Ascot. We always felt – and my brother Matthew, who does all the analysis and everything, felt – that he was worth a try at a mile and a quarter. And we just thought this was the race to try him.
“We’re excited to try him at a mile and a quarter, to be honest. He travels strongly in his races. And if we’re wrong, we’re wrong – we just go back up to a mile and a half with him.
“Fast ground is what he wants. He doesn’t want soft. Ryan (Sexton), unfortunately is not available, so Kevin Stott takes over.
“It’s our local track – a track we all want to do well at. We’re really looking forward to it.”
Haggas has a good record in the race and runs recent course winner Archivist, while Jim Goldie, successful in 2018 with Euchen Glen, is represented by Faylaq, another formerly in the care of Haggas.
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Oisin Murphy will be subject to enhanced testing both on and off the racecourse as part of “stringent” conditions placed on his licence by the British Horseracing Authority following his drink-driving conviction.
The four-times champion jockey was fined £70,000 and banned from driving for 20 months having pleaded guilty to one count of driving a motor vehicle while over the prescribed limit of alcohol at Reading Magistrates’ Court last week.
Following the conclusion of those court proceedings, the BHA says it has been “liaising extensively with Mr Murphy and his team” which has resulted in the immediate imposition of “an extremely strict set of conditions and monitoring requirements” on his riding licence which “must be adhered to at all times”.
A BHA statement said: “The revised conditions have been designed to balance the need to maintain the safety, integrity and good reputation of British racing, with ensuring that Mr Murphy has access to the appropriate support and advice so that he meets the sport’s expectations.
“BHA licensing matters and the precise details of any conditions that may be placed on an individual’s licence are a private and confidential matter between that person and the regulator.
“However, we can confirm that Mr Murphy will be subject to stringent conditions, including detailed and strict procedures relating to further enhanced testing, both on and off the racecourse.
“Mr Murphy must also engage regularly and proactively with the BHA. In addition he must alert us, within a clearly stipulated timeframe, to any change in his personal circumstances that could reasonably be said to be relevant to his position as a licensed jockey.”
The BHA added both the conditions and Murphy’s compliance will be subject to “careful monitoring and regular review”, also warning it reserves “the right to seek the immediate suspension or withdrawal of Mr Murphy’s licence” if those conditions are not met.
The statement added: “As emphasised in our statement of last week, Mr Murphy’s conduct has fallen well below the standards expected of licensed individuals. His actions – for which he has since apologised – jeopardised not only his safety, but that of his passenger and other members of the public.
“Mr Murphy, like all licensed personnel, is expected to uphold the good reputation of our sport on and off the racecourse. He has been reminded of his responsibility. The conditions now in place are designed to help ensure that he meets the high standards that British racing demands.”
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Charlie Appleby will continue to take “baby steps” with Opera Ballo after the exciting colt claimed his fourth victory from five starts in the Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket.
The son of Ghaiyyath made a huge impression winning his first two starts on the all-weather at Kempton and while he disappointed behind the brilliant Field Of Gold when well fancied for the Craven Stakes in April, he bounced back with a comprehensive Listed success at Sandown the following month.
Having since sidestepped Royal Ascot, Opera Ballo was the 11-8 favourite to continue his progression on the July course – and while he was giving 3lb to some smart rivals under William Buick, the result never really looked in doubt as he cruised two and three-quarter lengths clear of Seagulls Eleven.
Appleby said: “It’s easy to say after the event, but I’d have been disappointed if he’d got beat to be honest. He’s a very exciting horse we thought a lot of in the spring and even in the winter to be fair.
“He shows signs of his father as he’s a strong-minded horse, but he’s a great galloper and has got a big engine.
“People asked why we didn’t run him over seven furlongs in the Jersey (at Royal Ascot), but if you come back in trip and try to put speed in these sort of horses you can lose them and that’s the last thing I want to do, because I think he’s actually going to end up being a 10-furlong horse.”
Considering future plans, the trainer added: “He’s a horse we’ll keep taking baby steps with.
“At home you can put him in front or put him in behind and he just does as he’s asked, but when he turns up here (on a racecourse) he’s a different beast.
“He’s got to learn to do it the right way, I think he’ll have learnt a lot today and we might take him to Deauville for a Group Three.
“I know it sounds boring and people have asked why we haven’t been a bit punchier, but I’m very much working back from next year with him and I want to nurse him along so next year we have a horse that we can go to war with.
“This horse can gallop, there’s no doubt about that, but he’s got to learn to do it the right way on the racetrack.”
Opera Ballo rounded off an excellent day’s work for Appleby and Buick, with the pair enjoying a treble on the card and Buick riding his 2,000th winner in Britain aboard El Cordobes in the feature Princess of Wales’s Stakes.
The middle leg of the hat-trick was provided by Crimson Rose (7-2), who confirmed debut promise with a four-length verdict in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.
“The highlight of the day has been William riding his 2,000th winner in Britain and from our point of view it’s been a great day for the team,” said Appleby.
“Crimson Rose is a filly who has obviously stepped up from Chelmsford with experience. We came here hopeful more than confident, she’s a neat little filly who shows a bit of natural pace at home and the experience under her belt from Chelmsford has probably stood her in good stead,” said Appleby.
“I wouldn’t be bold enough to say she’s a stakes filly, so we’ll see how we go.”
Marco Botti’s Prince Of India (7-1) was a decisive winner of the Bet Boost At bet365 Handicap and the Newmarket-based Italian feels there could be more to come from his charge in the autumn.
Botti said: “For a while I thought this would be the race for him, but beforehand I had my doubts with the ground. We had a little bit of rain on Monday, but since then it’s been so hot and I hoped it wouldn’t be too quick for him.
“I think with the stiff finish up the hill he got away with it, but when he gets a little bit more give in the ground I think he has a little bit more to offer and there’ll be a bit more to come from him.
“Six furlongs is probably about right – he’s definitely got plenty of toe.”
The concluding Federation Of Bloodstock Agents Handicap went to Charlie Johnston’s 14-1 shot Dutch Decoy, with Jack Mitchell the winning rider.
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2.80958646-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2025-07-10 16:52:362025-07-10 16:52:36Opera Ballo ‘very exciting’ – but Appleby determined to take it slowly
Ghostwriter was taken to Newmarket Equine Hospital for further observation after rearing up in the pre-parade ring prior to his planned appearance in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes.
Bought by Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing operation for £2million on the eve of Royal Ascot, Clive Cox’s stable star made a promising start for his new connections when third in the Hardwicke Stakes.
The four-year-old was set to go off the hot favourite for the Group Two feature on day one of the July meeting, but had to be withdrawn after a ‘freak’ pre-race spill.
Cox said: “It was a freak accident, we hadn’t even done the girths up, we’d just put the pads on him and I’m not even sure what startled him really.
“He reared up and lost his footing and sat right on his rump behind. He was definitely lame as a consequence, so he was taken back to the stable yard and immediately shipped to the NEH (Newmarket Equine Hospital) for further observation.
“Hopefully it’s nothing more than bruising, that would be the first opinion of the vets, but we’re going to keep him at the vets overnight just to be absolutely sure. He’s got the right people around him just in case.
“You couldn’t make it up and it was nobody’s fault – it was just freaky. I think he just lost his balance.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2.80740966-2-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2025-07-10 15:39:462025-07-10 15:39:46Ghostwriter taken for observation after ‘freak’ pre-race accident
El Cordobes came to the fore to give William Buick his 2,000th British winner in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket.
The four-year-old was one of two Charlie Appleby-trained, Godolphin-owned horses in the race alongside Arabian Crown, and started at 7-2 with John and Thady Gosden’s Palladium the 13-8 favourite after the late withdrawal of Ghostwriter.
Buick took his time in the Group Two before knuckling down in the final three furlongs, when he switched out to find some room and kicked clear for a two-length win over Wimbledon Hawkeye for a famous success.
El Cordobes comes home under William Buick (Joe Giddens/PA)
Buick said: “It means a lot and I suppose it tells me and everyone else that I’ve been doing this for quite a long time!
“It’s something I wasn’t really aware of until pretty recently and you never quite know when it’s going to happen.
“There are some places to do it that aren’t as glamorous as Newmarket’s July meeting, no offence, so to do it here at my home track, for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, makes it all the more special.
“It wasn’t by design, you can’t design these things, but I’m very happy it happened the way it did.
William Buick after his 2000th British winner (Joe Giddens/PA)
“I’m lucky to have been champion jockey and I’ve ridden some fantastic horses for some fantastic people. I had a great time with John Gosden and now with Charlie and Godolphin, I’ve always been in a very privileged position and I’m grateful for all the support I’ve had over the years.
“It goes without saying that my family are my biggest supporters, so thank you to them and all the owners and trainers and stable staff and the great horses along the way.
“Hopefully it can continue.”
On future ambitions, he added: “You’re always looking forward and always looking for the next one.
“There’s still loads I haven’t done and races I haven’t won, the Oaks being one.”
Buick, 36, has been Appleby’s principal rider since 2015 and has claimed four of the five British Classics, with the Oaks the only one missing.
William Buick at Newmarket’s July course (Steven Paston/PA)
He has won the last two renewals of the 2000 Guineas with Notable Speech and Ruling Court, doubling up in the 1000 this year on Desert Flower. He has claimed the St Leger three times and the 2018 Derby on Masar.
The only other jockeys still active to have ridden over 2,000 British winners are Joe Fanning, Jamie Spencer, Ryan Moore, Luke Morris and Jim Crowley, as well as Frankie Dettori, who is currently riding in America.
Buick said: “The one race that stands out is the Derby as we all know the Derby is special and it’s the one race everyone wants to win.”
Asked to pick out one ride from Buick that he had given to one of his horses that was the most memorable, Appleby not surprisingly said: “Masar in the Derby. Just because of the whole occasion and what it meant.
“If you’re asking when I felt he’s made the difference between winning and losing I’d have to say some of the Breeders’ Cup meetings, he’s been deadly round there.
“We’re very lucky to have him as part of our team and congratulations to him and all his family, it’s a huge achievement, long may it continue.”
Buick wasted little time in making it winner number 2,001 when steering Crimson Rose to victory in the following British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.
The Appleby-trained chestnut, who is by Invincible Spirit and out of the Group-winning mare Ideal Beauty, was a 7-2 chance and prevailed by a comfortable four lengths on the line.
And it was three on the day for the Buick-Appleby combination with the impressive Opera Ballo (11-8 favourite) taking the Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes.
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2.80957365-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2025-07-10 14:53:452025-07-10 16:00:13Buick swoops for 2,000th British winner aboard El Cordobes
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