Convey thrills record crowd with classy display

Stoute gelding easily lands £124,000 prize Dante next for Forest Ranger after shock win

Ryan Moore will not experience many easier victories in £200,000 races this season than the one he enjoyed on Convey before a record Lingfield crowd in yesterday’s Easter Classic.

Moore always had the Sir Michael-Stoute-trained five-yearold in the perfect position, just off the pace, and when he decided to press the button in the home straight, the race was as good as over. The 11-10 favourite outclassed his rivals easily and just needed to be ridden out to land the £124,000 first prize.

A gelding operation has transformed the son of Dansili, as confirmed by a smooth Winter Derby success over the same course and distance in February, and he looks set for an excellent season.

Rupert Pritchard-Gordon, racing manager for winning owner Robert Ng, said: “He’s always been a horse with a lot of talent, but he just seems to have improved. He was gelded over the winter and that seems to have helped.

“We’ll speak to Sir Michael and Robert Ng as well. He has been invited to the Champions Mile in Hong Kong on May 7, and there’s a good chance he’ll go there.”

This Good Friday fixture has been popular since its inception in 2013, but yesterday’s attendance of 10,817 beat the previous record established at the same fixture in 2016 by more than 700.

Martin Cruddace, ARC chief executive, said: “We are delighted. We have all enjoyed some fantastic racing and thrilling finishes. The All-weather Championships go from strength to strength.”

At Newcastle, the Burradon Stakes, a new race this season, showcased Classic hopefuls. An impressive success by Richard Fahey’s 25-1 chance Forest Ranger set up a possible tilt at York’s Dante Stakes next month, while connections of the runner-up Syphax were not too disappointed and he too is heading for the Dante.

Fahey said: “We do like him, but he’s still a big baby. I’ve got him in the German Guineas, but he wouldn’t be one for Newmarket, he’s not mentally ready for that. We’ll get him home and see how he is, I know his owner [Norman Steel) is quite keen on the Dante.”