STAR of the day at Lingfield without a doubt was Ed Walker’s English King, who carried Bjorn Nielsen’s colours to a stylish victory in the Betsafe Derby Trial. The son of Camelot was impressive on his second juvenile start at Newcastle, conceding first run to a pair of subsequent winners, and quickening in fine style to make that pair look paceless.
That was the mark of a pattern performer, and he proved he could do it on turf with a win which didn’t get close to the bottom of him. Under Tom Marquand he started slightly slowly, but wasn’t rushed to take a position, and the jockey merely allowed him to improve his position gradually while hard on the bridle.
When joint-favourite Berkshire Rocco (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) was kicked into a clear lead in the straight, Marquand was straight on to the leader’s shoulder, and looked very confident before letting out a reef of rein to win the race by two and three-quarter lengths. That margin would have been bigger in a truly run race, and the fact that the initially quick tempo was slowed at halfway rather disguises his superiority. Despite that, the front pair came seven lengths clear of what was an admittedly modest field.
THE Betsafe Oaks Trial carries listed status, and threw up the Epsom winner last year, as the Derby Trial did for the colts.
It will be a surprise if that feat is repeated this year, with form pick Miss Yoda (John Gosden/Rab Havlin) justifying odds of evens to beat rank outsider Golden Lips (Harry Dunlop/Josephine Gordon) by one and a quarter lengths in a bunch finish.
Poor start
The winner did well to score after a poor start, but the runner-up was taking an official rating of 80 into the contest.
While it served its purpose of getting fresh blacktype for the first two (third home West End Girl is a Group 3 winner having taken the Sweet Solera last term), it’s hard to see it proving a reliable guide to what might happen at Epsom next month.
THE opening pair of juvenile contests on the card provided Archie Watson and Hollie Doyle with a double, and the first winner was especially impressive. Mighty Gurkha produced a stunning performance first time out to score by a wide margin having been backed into 8/15 for the first division of the maiden auction stakes.
He was always travelling well, and easily justified market confidence, for all Doyle was keen to keep him up to his work in the closing stages.
The winning margin was seven and a half lengths over outsider Hot Scoop, and while questions can be asked about the ability of those in behind with outsiders filling the places, the winner looks ready for Royal Ascot, and his rider was suitably impressed.
Doyle said: “He’s one of the nicest Sepoys I’ve sat on. He’s a little bit quirky, but there’s plenty of scope for improvement. He’ll go to Royal Ascot next, definitely. He got the six well and he’s a nice big unit.”