3 minute read

Charlie Appleby's colt cut to 10/1 for Classic glory after staying on strongly to land the July Festival opener.

Charlie Appleby and team Godolphin look to have unearthed a live St Leger Stakes candidate after Ancient Wisdom produced a powerful staying performance to land the opening Group 3 Bahrain Trophy Stakes at Newmarket.

The striking son of Dubawi was sent off the 7/4 favourite for the Dante Stakes on his seasonal reappearance at York after winning the Group 1 Futurity Stakes at Doncaster as a juvenile, but Appleby's colt proved no match for William Haggas' impressive six-length scorer Economics.

A trip to Epsom for the Derby would follow, but after getting unbalanced rounding Tattenham Corner, he was eventually well-beaten back in eighth place.

However, a step up to one mile five furlongs combined with softer ground would see Ancient Wisdom return to his best and victory never really looked in doubt for the 6/4 market leader, who kept up the gallop to score by one-and-three-quarter lengths once sent to the front by William Buick.

Royal Supremacy, who raced keenly throughout, ran on well to finish back in second for Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy.

Paddy Power cut the winner to 10/1 (from 20s) for the last British Classic of the season, while the same firm made him a 6/1 chance (from 10s) for the Great Voltigeur at York's Ebor Meeting in August.

Appleby, who landed the opening prize twelve months ago with Castle Way, confirmed that his latest winner would likely follow the tried and tested path to Doncaster.

"It was always our plan to come here with the ground it was looking to be and then head to the Great Voltigeur and then the St Leger, it's a well-trodden route," said the Malton Paddocks handler.

"He is very much an autumn campaign horse though, so at no point would we jeopardise that on anything quicker than good ground. If it was quick ground at York, I definitely wouldn't head to the Voltigeur."

On the performance today, Appleby added: "I was impressed, and I still think this horse isn't there yet, he's coming and he's not 100 per cent. I was very impressed knowing there is improvement under the bonnet still.

"If Doncaster is as it is normally at that time of year, I would like to think he would have a live chance.

"He was the Group 1 winner in the race, and we were always confident about the ground and the trip.

"William went out there and gave him a positive ride which was always our gameplan and it is great to get this horse's head back in front.

"He ran a creditable race in the Dante, but we always felt Dante to Epsom might be just short enough. Since then he has done well and had a nice preparation and we were quietly confident coming into today."He ran well in the Dante but he wasn't hardened for the Dante in the respects to fitness, therefore going Dante-Derby was always on the edge. We were a bit unfortunate in the spring and our Derby team was dwindling by the week and he had to take up the baton.

"He's a straightforward horse and they always just like to go out and gallop. Will has given him a great ride. You see when he switched his leads, he did it so effortlessly and once I saw that, I knew he would let himself down because he was enjoying himself.

"The others had to quicken and then stay, whereas we were already in the right gear and they had to try and get us."