DOY WONDER
James bags first Classic victory thanks to Appleby star Coroebus
COROEBUS inflicted a first defeat on Charlie Appleby stablemate Native Trail in the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas to end jockey James Doyle’s 17-year wait for victory in a first British Classic.
The 34-year-old has plied his trade in the weighing room’s highest echelon since securing the first Group 1 race of his career aboard Al Kazeem at the Curragh in May 2013.
But top jobs with owner Khalid Abdullah – Doyle finished second aboard the Saudi prince’s Kingman in the 2,000 Guineas eight years ago – and Saeed bin Suroor didn’t work out, leaving Doyle as second jockey to the Dubaian’s fellow Godolphin trainer Appleby.
With William Buick opting to partner Appleby’s champion twoyear-old and yesterday’s 5-4 favourite Native Trail, Doyle – also second aboard Barney Roy in the colts’ Classic of 2017, feared he would again chase his best mate home on 5-1 third choice Coroebus.
But, having driven Coroebus to the front a furlong out, the pair fended off their stable-companion by three parts of a length.
A tearful Doyle (right with Appleby) said: “This race has always annoyed me.
“You have a few years on the sidelines, when you have always previously had a good time of getting to feel what it is like to win these big races, and, when you don’t for a little while, it does frustrate you.
“But when you do feel it again, it’s incredible.
“William is a great friend of mine and he would have known this meant a lot. He came up and said, ‘You deserve that – well done.’”
The result gave Appleby, who captured his first trainers’ title last season, a first 2,000 Guineas to go with three British Classic wins.
The 46-yearold, who saddled Masar (2018) and Adayar (2021) to Derby glory –
Hurricane Lane also lifted last year’s St Leger
– said: “I’m delighted for James – he’s an integral part of the team and for him to have his first English Classic winner is fantastic.
“For us to provide it, it’s even more special.
“It’s a relief – I was third with Pinatubo, second with Master Of The Seas, so we had been getting closer and hopefully our time was going to come.
“This horse has always shown natural pace and, when they have that, you can’t do anything apart from get excited.”
As for the future, he added: “I think I would let Coroebus go straight to the St James’s Palace Stakes [at Royal Ascot on June 14] and take Native Trail over to the Irish 2,000 Guineas [at the Curragh on May 21].”
Luxembourg motored home from the back to take third and is now the 5-2 favourite for the Cazoo Derby at Epsom on June 4.
“We knew he was a middle-distance horse and it was a lovely starting race for him – the perfect start,” said Luxembourg’s trainer Aidan O’Brien.
“The lads had the plan to come here and then we’d go to the Derby.”