Ghaiyyath sees off ‘Van Dyck’ to take Coronation crown for Buick
GHAIYYATH made every yard of the running to claim Group One gold in the Hurworth Bloodstock Coronation Cup at Newmarket yesterday.
The five-year-old was sent off the 11/10 favourite and William Buick was quick to employ front-running tactics on Charlie Appleby’s charge. Buick’s mount soon built up a healthy advantage, with only Frankie Dettori on star stayer Stradivarius deciding to head out in pursuit.
However, he could not get back on terms and still had about four lengths to make up with a couple of furlongs to run, as Aidan O’Brien’s Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck started to make later progress.
But Ghaiyyath was not for stopping and while Anthony Van Dyck made up ground in the final furlong, the Godolphin runner was twoand-a-half lengths too good, with Stradivarius running a fine race in third.
Appleby said: “All credit to the team and many thanks to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed for allowing us to keep Ghaiyyath in training. To have five-year-olds around is a treat for any stable, but to have one the calibre of him is pretty special.
“He’s some galloper and I knew after the first quarter-mile when William had him in that rhythm that it would take a good horse to get to him and there were many in the field.
“He was on it from flag-fall, but I could see he was in a rhythm we’d seen before. His mid-race move just kills them and it’s great for him to get his first British Group One win.”
At Lingfield, English King shot into the Epsom picture after showing an impressive turn of foot to secure a taking victory in the Betsafe Derby Trial.
Ed Walker’s charge is jointfavourite with Ladbrokes and Coral at 6/1 for the Derby on July 4, having put his rivals to the sword in some style under Tom Marquand.
There was a charge for the early lead in the extended 11-furlong heat, with King Carney eventually allowed to take it up and he appeared to set a decent pace.
Berkshire Rocco was travelling well in behind and he looked to have made a winning move as he kicked for home with a couple of furlongs to run.
However, English King was just starting to motor and he swept down the outside with only the minimum of encouragement, stretching away to win by an eased-down two and three-quarter lengths. Fellow 9/4 market leader Berkshire Rocco was in turn seven lengths clear of the third, Summer on seven hills
Immaturity
The race was won by subsequent Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck 12 months ago, and Marquand said: “Coming here today, there is always a question mark down that hill and he still clearly has signs of immaturity, so to have won that impressively and gone away in the style he did, we are all pretty excited about him.
“He is one to look forward to for the future, not just for Epsom.”
Miss Yoda finished with a flourish to claim the Oaks Trial. Trained by John Gosden and ridden by Robert Havlin, Miss Yoda was sent off evens favourite for the extended 11-furlong event having finished runner-up in a Group Three heat on her final start last year.
However, she looked an unlikely winner at the top of the straight as front-running Golden Lips gamely pushed on again as La Dragontea threw down her challenge.
Miss Yoda was still back in fourth at the two-furlong pole, but she found plenty in the final furlong, collaring Golden Lips before eventually being eased slightly ahead of the line to win by a length-and-a-quarter.