Pinatubo favourite
CLASSIC dreams will be firmly in the mind of Charlie Appleby after Pinatubo confirmed his status as the star juvenile of 2019 when extending his unbeaten record to six in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.
The Shamardal colt has carried all before him so far this season – progressing from a low-key debut win at Wolverhampton to landing the Woodcote at Epsom, the Chesham at Royal Ascot and the Vintage at Goodwood before a devastating ninelength romp in the National Stakes.
Pin a tu bow as a prohibitively priced1-3favourite to maintain his perfect record – and while it was harder work than many expected, he was well on top at the line for William Buick.
Appleby said: “He has been a very special horse this year for all to see.
“I’m sure you saw him walking around the paddock – he is a horse that has this demeanour about him that you can’t get excited about in the mornings. I’d be making it up to say he was a ‘wow’ horse.
“In the mornings he goes about his business and I said to Will (Buick) before I legged him up, ‘you would think he is an older horse walking around in a handicap here’.
“He showed great courage. He travelled nicely, but in this ground he had to dig deep. Will gave him a fantastic ride and once he came to the fight he wasn’t going to lie down.”
Paddy Power left Pinatubo unchanged as the 11-10 favourite for next year’s 2000 Guineas, while William Hill trimmed him to evens. He is 8-1 with Racebets to win both the Guineas and the Derby.
Stratum provided Willie Mullins with his second successive victory in the Emirates Cesarewitch at Newmarket.
Ireland’s perennial champion National Hunt trainer saddled the first two home in last year’s renewal of the £350,000 contest, with Low Sun getting the better of stable companion Uradel in a thrilling finish.
Mullins was again well represented, with the Frankie Dettori-ridden Buildmeupbuttercup and Buick’s mount Great White Shark both prominent in the betting – but it was the outsider of the three Stratum who struck gold at 25-1 in the hands of Jason Watson.
“We thought this fellow might do it last year,” admitted the winning trainer.
“We brought him back because of the prize-money and he ran well here last year, but he just ran too free. We didn’t bring him on the homework he was doing.
“It was fantastic to get Jason Watson and he gave him an ice-cold ride. Every time I looked at him he was taking a pull, which is a great sign, and he delivered him at the right time.”
The rest of the card belonged to Ralph Beckett and Harry Bentley who notched a memorable four-timer topped off by Feliciana De Vega in the concluding Darley Stakes.
Beckett and Bentley landed the opening Dubai Nursery with 7-1 shot Tomfre, before Max Vega thrust himself into the picture for next year’s Investec Derby after taking a step up in class in his stride in the Godolphin Flying Start Zetland Stakes.
The third winner came via Richenza, who caused a minor upset in the Listed Dubai British EBF Boadicea Stakes.
Lucander also won the first race at York for Beckett, who said: “What a day. My head man Adam Kite said this morning we would have a good day today and he doesn’t normally say things like that, so I hoped he would be right.
“I’m really pleased it came together. I’m pretty sure it is the first time I’ve had four on one card. I had five or six three years ago on the Saturday of the July meeting, but they were spread out all over the place.
“It is great. We had a tricky spring and it wasn’t going well.
“We hit a bit of a blip in July but it is always a good idea to finish the season off well.”
Bentley said: “In England it’s my first four-timer.
“In Qatar I’ve had a couple of sixtimers. I’ve had a few trebles in the UK, so getting a four-timer is great.”
David O’Meara’s Gulliver defied a starting price of 16-1 to win the Coral Sprint Trophy at York under Jason Hart while Aberama Gold ran out an authoritative winner of the coral.co. uk Rockingham Stakes.
Sunday’s British action was called off due to waterlogged tracks – but the Mullins bandwagon kept rolling with the handler winning the feature events at both the Curragh and Limerick.
Royal Illusion turned the Tote Irish Cesarewitch into a procession at the Curragh under 17-year-old jockey Joey Sheridan, while Paul Townend was in the plate as Cabaret Queen romped home in the JT McNamara Ladbrokes Munster National.