3 minute read
Michael Appleby tasted Royal Ascot glory when his Big Evs (20/1) shed the maiden tag at the second time of asking in the concluding Listed Windsor Castle Stakes on day two.
The Blue Point colt showed plenty of ability when runner-up behind Hala Emaraaty on his debut at Redcar but seemingly took a huge step forward with that outing under his belt.
There was plenty of early pace on for the five-furlong dash with Michael Appleby's Big Evs always prominent in the near-side group.
The nose-banded runner struck the front with a furlong to run and hit the line strongly to deny Aidan O'Brien's well-backed 10/3 market leader Johannes Brahms by a widening three lengths.
Ollie Sangster's Inquisitively shaped nicely back in third under Jamie Spencer with Jack Jones' Up The Manor a further neck back in fourth.
Appleby said: "Big Evs worked with Annaf earlier in the week and I thought this has got to have a great chance at Royal Ascot, because Annaf is a machine. I knew he'd get the job done.
"We really fancied him at Redcar, but the draw did us. We've been trying for a long time to get a winner here. It's everything to have a winner at Royal Ascot – it makes training worth it.
"Well done to all the team at home who are working hard all week while I'm enjoying it here. It's a great team effort and thanks to Paul [Teasdale, owner] for sending him to me.
"He's got so much speed – I've never had a horse as quick as him. I'm not sure what we'll do next. There are some big targets to come for him now, so we'll see where we go with him."
Jason Hart, who was runner-up on John Quinn's star mare Highfield Princess yesterday said: "Mick was quietly confident and said this horse had done an excellent bit of work. He has taken a big step forward from his Redcar run and put up a good performance.
"I was massively hopeful we could reverse the placings [with Hala Emaraaty, 7th], because as people know there is a massive track bias at Redcar at the moment and I was drawn on the stands' side. If you don't get on the far side, you've not really got much chance and I had to use a lot of horse to get a good position. That told in the final 100 yards, but the horse has come on a lot for that run.
"I've not had many rides for Mick but, when I have, they are always in the right races. It's great for him and his team."
Winning owner Paul Teasdale said: "I named Big Evs after someone very special, a man who I knew for 40 years, but he died in November. He was Paul Evans – we called him Evs and he was a big guy. We went racing together for 25 years and so to win this means so much."