Meade’s joy as Dolphin Vista delivers 50-1 surprise win
Trainer praises ‘great ride’ by jockey George Wood Top three in Newmarket race are all outsiders
Dolphin Vista, a 50-1 shot trained locally by Martyn Meade and ridden by 3lb claimer George Wood, gave the trainer the most prestigious winner of his career when he came home a length and a half clear in the 34-runner Betfred Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket yesterday.
It proved a bookmakers’ bonanza as the winner beat Sands Chorus, a 100-1 shot in second with Cote d’Azur, another 50-1 shot, in third.
Meade, who has a good chance of completing an excellent weekend with his recent Park Stakes winner Aclaim in the Prix de la Foret at Chantilly today, said: “It’s always a nice surprise. In a handicap with 34 runners anything can happen. The horse has been doing really well at home. We’ve taken a lot of time with him.
“He’s had quite a lot of racing but had only run once for us before and we gave him time and waited for his ground. It was a great ride by George. He stuck to his guns where he was and did everything we asked him to do.”
Aidan O’Brien, who is running five in the Arc, warmed up for it by winning both Group Ones for juveniles at Newmarket yesterday. It took his tally of top-tier races this season to 20.
Clemmie, a full sister to Churchill, earned a quote of 4-1 for next year’s Guineas after winning the Juddmonte Cheveley Park. Always handy, O’Brien’s filly and Ryan Moore took it up at the two-furlong pole and, though challenged by the French trained runnerup Different League, she was well on top at the line.
“She’s very much like Churchill and right in his mould,” said O’Brien. “She has a great mind, has plenty of speed, stays, and nothing fazes her. She could go to the Breeders’ Cup. A mile round Del Mar should be no problem to her.”
The trainer also saddled the first two in the Middle Park but it was US Navy Flag, a 10-1 shot, who led home Fleet Review, a 25-1 shot. His first-string Sioux Nation, the favourite, disappointed along with several other fancied runners including Unfortunately, Rajasinghe and the Gimcrack winner Sands of Mali, who was tailed off.
Michael Bell withdrew Big Orange from yesterday’s Prix du Cadran, won by Vazirabad, due to a combination of good to soft ground and the gelding, a well-known ‘box-walker’, enduring a restless night in the racecourse stables. He will now head to Ascot’s Long Distance Cup instead.