A review of the action from yesterday’s meeting at Newmarket where Ancient Wisdom won the Bahrain Trophy.
Straightforward win for Bahrain Trophy favourite
Epsom Derby eighth Ancient Wisdom (6/4 favourite) ran out a decisive winner of the Bahrain Trophy, the opening race on day 1 of Newmarket’s July Festival.
William Buick was able to dictate on the Godolphin runner who had to battle off the challenge of his three rivals two furlongs out but eventually ran out a ready one and three-quarter length winner of the Group 3 contest.
Royal Supremacy was second, with Portland back in third. Space Legend, stepping up in trip, was the disappointment of the race back in fourth.
The success was a third in the race for winning trainer Charlie Appleby.
Reaction of winning connections
“He was the Group One winner in the race and we were always confident about the ground and the trip,” said Appleby.
“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 give 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, we we’re already in the right gear and they had to try and get us.”
Paddy Power cut the winner’s odds for the St Leger at Doncaster to 10-1 from 20-1.
Appleby added: “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.
“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.
“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.”
Leave a Reply