CROWN’S A JEWEL
ARABIAN Crown justi ed odds-on favouritism and booked his ticket for the Derby when making all the running in the bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown.
A smart two-year-old, he was last seen winning the Zetland Stakes by over five lengths and appeared to hold strong credentials given how much Dubawi’s progeny tend to improve at three.
William Buick sent him into an early advantage and it was one he was not to relinquish, as the 5-6 market leader made the last 100 yards his most impressive.
With two furlongs to run, there were several who must have still fancied their chances, with Remaadd, Macduff and Under The Sun all in there pitching.
But Buick knew exactly what he had under the bonnet and having just wound up the pace, he really put the pedal to the metal, stretching three and a quarter lengths clear of Macduff and Remaadd, who ran exactly to the pound from their Haydock running last year.
Appleby ran Adayar in this race, who was beaten by Alenquer in 2021 before winning at Epsom, while Westover prevailed two years ago and went on to win the Irish Derby.
Coral and Betfair both cut the winner to 6-1 from 12s for the Epsom Classic.
Appleby’s assistant Alex Merriam said: “Will gave him a nice ride on the front end and I thought he did it quite impressively in the end, he’s galloped all the way through the line.
“His racecourse gallop helped him and Charlie has been really pleased with him the last two weeks, he’s really started to come to himself and it (the gallop) didn’t do him any harm anyway.
“He has got to be in the Derby mix now and obviously there are a few other irons in the re, but I suppose he has to be the main one at the minute.
Talking
“I was just talking to Will and it’s going to be tight to get another run into him, he’s had a hardenough race there on soft enough ground.
“We’ll see how he comes out of the race and if he goes anywhere, it will probably be Chester - the Dante is a bit close to Epsom. I think experience-wise, as you can see there, he’s quite professional already.
“We’ve not had a Dubawi win the Derby yet, but ngers crossed we will get there eventually.”
Buick said: “He is very straightforward and he