There are doubles and then there are doubles, writes Tony StaffordWith a few on Saturday thanks to trainers Richard Spencer and Richard Hannon who border on the absurd.
How else could you describe the performance of Spencer when winning both the AYR Gold and Silver Cups (in reverse time order) within a little more than an hour, at least with a horse that makes everything about the tough six furlongs in the test soil, with 24 other Smart Sprint handicappers denying on both occasions?
Spencer perhaps takes the compliments for the two horses in prime shape, sweets (silver) smoothly as a well-supported 8/1 shot with a lot in the hand; And Run Boy Run, in an even more disputed finish in the Gold Cup. But behind the trainer there is a master planner.
Both horses are of course owned by Phil Cunningham, employer of Spencer at Sefton Lodge Stables in Newmarket. He admitted that he had never been to Ayr before, but was on the entire three -day meeting and on time for the stalls of Thursday signs for the two functions. You can say that the investigation has paid off. Phil’s policy to focus on the largest meetings this year has been nicely rewarded and he has been present much more often than in the past.
What I liked the best thing about Ayr on Saturday was that none of the 50 horses explained and their place in the two valuable sprints – there was £ 92k on the line for the Gold Cup – withdrawn, which is nowadays a rarity. No one wish their horse, according to their connections, unfairly denied a point in some races.
The times were almost identical, the lesser (in terms of Prizemoney, £ 33k) silver cup -run in 0.25 sec faster. Perhaps the effect of banging needs rather on the revenue turf equal to that time difference – there is no doubt that candy, winner of the valuable Redcar Gold Trophy last October last October, as well as a course and distance bug at this meeting could have a huge future. Graduates from so many of this year’s group sprints went to former handicappers.
Candy was an auction purchase for Spencer and Cunningham, but even more pleasure will have been won by Run Boy Run, not only a self -grown but also a son of his own stallion Rajasinghe, the winner of Coventry Stakes for the owner in the National Stud.
Once Phil even offered free coverage of the stallion as a way to get the name of Rajasinghe on racecards. The success of Run Boy Run and the Steward ‘Cup winner of the Two Tribes team, a deserving tenth in Saturday’s big race, will be another boost for the attraction of the stallion.
A small sidebar. For years I wondered why Peter Charalambous would not send his brilliant Apollo out of the Portland, the second time to Ayr, but he is waiting for Ascot and the group race he won last year. Run Boy Run was two places behind him at Doncaster.
The National Stud must be the most optimistic for many years. Rajasinghe does his things with limited opportunities, but the recent winner of the 1 Diego Velazguez group will join him after he won the biggest miles function of summer in France at the end of last month, the Prix Jacques Le Marois for the Aidan O’Brien Stable in Deauville.
I tried to squeeze songs from Sam Sangster who mediated the deal, but he remained reluctant. One opinion had an amount of seven digits (of course) with a considerable unforeseen event and that secondary requirement has already been met the Deauville success that makes him a six-time winner on top of his huge year prize.
A song that Sam will not dispute is the £ 82k he has offered to secure Oceans Four, trained by the old employee Brian Meehan in the popular Amusement Colors family. I thought the decision to drop him a place after he had been beaten an inch in the Solario Stakes was pedant in the extreme by the Sandown Stewards and I was happy that he had collected his own group 3 prize on Chantilly on Saturday and also 30 truths.
But to return to the doubles. How on earth could a youthful of the Richard Hannon stable, junior or senior be allowed for him to start at 125/1? However, it happened on Saturday on the local Junior course. Richard and the whole family understandably thought of his mother, who died last Monday, and considered this victory over the family’s favorite song very meaningful.
The winner was Night Patrol, quickly gone in the middle of the peloton and comfortable in front until he was challenged by two opponents in the last 100 meters. The way he put his neck and surpassed his rivals, well at the top of the finish, is good for his future.
Hannon added with only 18/1 shot in the next race on the Newbury card, a Zeven-Furlong Handicap. Here former Hannon-stable student Tom Marquand had the ride on four-year-old Christian David and worked opposite tactics, who kept the son of profitable at the back of the field. He came with a late rattle and got better from colleague 18/1 Schot Tarkhan who had filled the Pacemaking Rol here. Only the 2,393/1 double for Hannon stable newbury supporters!
They also race on Saturday in Newmarket. If you were looking for a potential winner of the Cesareswitch, performed during the Big Dewurst meeting next month, you should not really look normally during the process for that race.
But if someone was able to do double, it would be one of those Irish Terrible childrenTony Martin or Charles Byrnes, close to the wind sailors both, and very able to land a point when and where it is desired.
Martin was nowhere to be seen, so it was on Byrnes that the responsibility was to maintain the domination of Ireland of our lasting handicaps. Andrew Balding, everywhere productive, bravely tried to swim against the green tide, but Belgravian, his 11/8 favorite could not do better than third, with Byrnes, Henry de Bromhead and Peter Fahey, who filled the one-two-four.
Well, a more accurate analysis was that “daylight” was second, third and fourth as Reverand Hubert, driven by Harry Davies, easily eight lengths clearly sustained. He finished in the Ruck last year in the Great and is not yet a certain starter next month, but Byrnes hopes that his penalty will get him in the last line-up. Could another Irish advantage, and that is without worrying about the Wilie Mullins orders!
– TS
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