Lingfield Saturday

IT was classic trials day at Lingfield last Saturday, but waterlogging meant that the meeting had to be switched to the Polytrack, which clearly sheds a different light on those races.

Adayar finished second in the Lingfield Derby Trial in 2021 before landing the Derby at Epsom, and his full-brother Military Order (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) went one better as he attempted to emulate his older sibling, scoring impressively in the latest renewal of the mile and a half listed contest.

An all-the-way winner of a strong novice at Newbury on his return to action last month, Military Order seems to have the right tools for Epsom and did nothing here to alter that view.

The son of Frankel travelled well on the inner behind the pace, and when a gap opened on the home turn, Buick was quickly through it before the space disappeared, and was always in the driving seat from that point on. He stayed on powerfully to record a length and a quarter victory over the promising Waipiro (Ed Walker/Rob Hornby), with the pair pulling more than four lengths clear of the field.

Derby market

The winner was justifying favouritism at even money and was promoted to the head of the Derby market after this win, with his price for Epsom now a general 4/1.

Charlie Appleby was justifiably pleased with his day’s work and has plenty to look forward to with this exciting colt.

“I was delighted with that,” said the winning handler. “He learnt plenty today and it was a great ride by William. We were going in there today with confidence based on what he had achieved to date.

“It was a mile and a half with the race being on the all-weather track, so we saw him see it out well. He has a pedigree and a profile there that is coming along very nicely into hopefully a Derby horse.

“I know he has now gone joint-favourite and deservedly so. We will obviously now be keeping an eye on what happens next week in the Dante, but I was very pleased with him.”

THE putative feature, the Group 3 Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes, normally run on the straight course here, became a two-turn Polytrack contest with the switch of tracks.

That switch might have been viewed as a concern for 13/8 favourite Sacred (William Haggas/Ryan Moore), as the daughter of Exceed And Excel had done all her previous winning on straight turf tracks, but she’s all class.

Despite breaking slowly, she had too much firepower for her rivals, and came away in the final furlong to beat main rival Sandrine (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) by over two lengths, with Queen Aminatu third, half a length adrift of Sandrine at the line.

“We’ve kept her in training to try to win a Group 1 remembering she was only beaten a length in the Jubilee last year,” said Max McLoughlin, representing owners Cheveley Park Stud. She’s a high-class filly and a Group 2 winner, and it was great to see her do it so impressively.

“She will go to Ascot and could have another crack at the Jubilee (now the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Stakes), although she’s also in the Duke of Cambridge.”

IT was another fine day for Charlie Appleby at Lingfield, with the Moulton Paddocks handler picking up both Epsom trials, although Oaks Trial heroine Eternal Hope (William Buick) is not entered at Epsom, and is more likely to go for the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot after her workmanlike victory over Aidan O’Brien’s favourite Be Happy (Ryan Moore) in this listed event.

Eternal Hope – sent off second best in the betting at 9/4 - tracked her front-running stablemate Sunset Point, and although racing a little freely in the early stages, she settled better as the race wore on, and was well positioned when the tempo increased off the final bend.

Step up

A winner of a maiden at Chelmsford in February, Eternal Hope was taking a marked step up here, but showed improvement to wear down Be Happy, who was always handy and led early in the straight, but couldn’t match the winner for finishing speed, going down by a length and three quarters.

Be Happy had previously finished third in the Group 3 Prix Penelope at Saint-Cloud, and this could be viewed as strong form for the grade viewed through that prism, but the runner-up didn’t look particularly well-suited to the sharp track or the surface at Lingfield, and probably ran below form as a result.

She could still take her place at Epsom and isn’t ignored completely for that contest, with a good test at the trip likely to suit her better, particularly on soft ground.

Eternal Hope could be supplemented for Epsom, but only if the ground was likely to come up on the fast side, with Charlie Appleby saying that he would monitor the situation, while clearly leaning towards Ascot as first preference.

Ascot Saturday

MAIN race at Ascot on Saturday was the Victoria Cup over seven furlongs, and while the 22-runner contest looked very open on paper, it was turned into a rout by the progressive Rebel Territory (Amanda Perrett/Jim Crowley), who followed up his win at Newmarket in April with a commanding four-length success over Biggles (Ralph Beckett/Pat Dobbs).

The winner is a big horse who has taken time to strengthen, but looks pattern class on this evidence, for all the ground is important, as the trainer’s husband and assistant Mark explained.

“I did fancy our chances with Rebel Territory as he loves this ground. It’s a stiff seven furlongs here and as good as a mile in most other places. On soft ground, you wouldn’t mind going up a grade with him; he gets through it a lot better than others.”

Round-up

Irish winners in Britain

THERE was an Irish-trained winner on the Skybet Sunday Series card at Hamilton where Shane Gray partnered the Kevin Coleman-trained Derry Lad (7/1) to a half-length success in the Sky Bet Sunday Series Middle Distance Handicap worth £14,946.60 to the winner.

Perth’s mid-week fixtures threw up a few more Irish winners beginning on Wednesday when Lorna Fowler trained the winner of the opening maiden hurdle over two and a half miles when Banjaxed justified odds-on 8/15 favouritism under Kieren Buckley.

Stuart Crawford’s cross channel raids continue to clock up the winners and the three-mile handicap hurdle produed an easy nine length winner in Nowinittowinit (5/6 favourite) under Stephen Connor.

On Thursday, Gordon Elliott’s raiders notched up a double with Bodhisattva (8/15 favourite) taking the three-mile novices limited handicap chase by eight lengths under Sean Bowen and Calico (3/1) making it a double for the pairing in a half-length win in the handicap hurdle over two miles.