Toppers and Tails suggest the serious stuff is about to be let loose. Epsom and Royal Ascot are where the backbone of the Flat season is moulded, the frivolities at Newmarket, Goodwood and York can wait a month or two.
We will no doubt see Aidan O’Brien and his entourage pacing the home straights of Epsom and Ascot, probably with a phone wedged to one ear or other.
He probably adds credibility to the stat that we, Aidan included, check our phones every 12 minutes for possible contact from the outside world – or beyond.
I’ve never really given it serious consideration, but maybe it’s true. As a fellow hostage to the gadget that is usually within grabbing distance, I feel ashamed to admit that recently I turned back from a walk with Norma (the dog) as I had left my phone in the house, thus unable to record the trudge on my daily steps app.
It’s verging on pathetic to rely on contraptions to boost our self esteem. Finding the Derby winner would be enough to enhance mine.
Most mortals don’t back nine Derby winners in their lifetime let alone train them, but Aidan O’Brien will make it 10 if one of his blue-blooded cluster of colts does the business on June 1.
Guineas mega-flop City of Troy still heads the pecking order, but as we know, Aidan has the knack of springing a few Epsom surprises – the bookies still have fond memories of 40/1 ‘no-hoper’ Wings of Eagles (2017) and 25/1 shot
Highbury. Serpentine (2020) landing the Blue Riband.
Last year’s winner Auguste Rodin raised a few eyebrows following his abysmal no-show in the Guineas and now, maybe in groundhog year, can City Of Troy, also a Guineas flop, live up to his billing as one of Ballydoyle’s all time greats?
Of course it’s possible, Aidan is a recognised miracle worker, but City Of Troy certainly won’t be carrying a penny of my hard-earned cash. There’s no denying, Troy bombed at Newmarket.
By the time this noble publication hits the newsstands, there may be a few significant additional Derby candidates, connections having forked out a £75,000 fee to join the party.
Highbury, a most impressive Leopardstown maiden winner could be another string to the O’Brien bow and the Galileo colt would not look out of place. However I ardently hope that William Haggas stands firm regarding Dante winner Economics, a Derby scratching a few months ago because the trainer believed his still immature long-striding colt could be all at sea around Epsom’s distinctive and, on occasions. destructive undulations, twists and turns. Owners can sometimes prove unrelenting despite the trainer usually knowing best. Economics looks a star in the makingbut not around Epsom.
Away from Economics’ notable York romp, the most impressive Derby trial in my opinion was Ambiente Friendly’s clinical display at Lingfield. James Fanshawe, long recognized as one of our finest trainers would be a most appropriate addition on the Derby roll of honour.
Often a nervous and superstitious interviewee. I cornered his son and assistant Tom the other evening at Doncaster. Tom, who wasn’t surprised by their colt’s assured Lingfield performance, said: “He has always looked a nice fluent mover with a bit of quality. He hasn’t always been straightforward but is becoming more so – I was impressed how he handled the preliminaries at Lingfield.”
He’ll need to be chilled at Epsom, always a cauldron of activity on Derby day. My money will be on Ambiente Friendly, however I can’t resist throwing a few quid at Roger Teal’s first Derby runner Dancing Gemini, a strong-finishing runner-up in the French Guineas.
Lambourn-based Teal is a heavyweight beyond his stature and a fine trainer to boot. He rarely misses out if the right horse comes along – note his dual Group 1 winning sprinter Oxtedand Dancing Gemini looks a worthy contender.
Aidan O’Brien (he again) has won six of the last 10 editions of the Oaks, the remaining four claimed by the Gosden stable, and O’Brien must have a sporting chance of landing an 11th Epsom fillies’ classic with Ylang Ylang, a staying-on fifth in the 1,000 Guineas, although I wouldn’t begrudge Dermot Weld a long overdue Oaks victory with the Aga Khan’s lightly-raced filly Ezeliya. Weld’s sole Oaks victory was 43 years ago with Blue Wind.
To be brutally honest, I may not have my eye truly on the ball on Oaks day as our Old Stoics Racing Club (as mentioned here on numerous occasions) standard-bearer Sweet Reward may be in the line up for the prestigious 10f Betfred Handicap on the same card. He was a highly creditable fourth in the same race in 2022 and, judged on two excellent efforts at Newbury this spring, the OSRC’s estimable 7yo would not be without an each-way squeak. He won at Epsom last summer over the same trip and his trainer Jonathan Portman has been making encouraging noises about our stable staruncharacteristically so for such a died-in-the-wool pessimist! Mick Appleby’s jet-propelled sprinter Big Evs has already achieved numerous high-profile missions and he must be the horse to beat in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (formerly the King’s Stand Stakes) on the opening day of Royal Ascot. The King is likely to be on hand to present the trophy and I relish the prospect of Mick in his finery shaking hands with His Majesty – a prospective victory clasp of 10 large digits, those involved with horses tend to possess large handsand some monarchs too.
I wasn’t unduly overworked at the aforementioned Doncaster evening meeting a few weeks ago, so I was able to grab a few words with Mick Appleby. His training career has mushroomed from a modest total of 15 winners in 2011 to posting a century for the past four years. Not only have the number of winners rocketed but the quality of the horses he trains has improved markedly.
“It’s good to get the label of being just an all-weather trainer off my back,” he said. “Mind you, I was never branded as a 2yo trainer either.”
Until Big Evs hit the headlines, blitzing his 22 rivals in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot last June. Big Evs has now won five of his seven starts. The cherry on his 2yo campaign was winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita in November .
“It was absolutely amazing, quite unbelievable,” beams Appleby. “He could have been sold by Paul (owner Paul Teasdale) and he’d have got silly money for him, but luckily for me he had no interest in selling him and he’s come back as good as he was he was last year – if not better.”
Big Evs first run as a 3yo was in the Listed Westow Stakes at York’s May meeting.
Big Evs
Appleby admits: “I was more nervous at York than I was at the Breeders’ Cup.
“There was a lot more pressure as it was his first run back as a 3yo, and if he’d not won everyone would be saying he hadn’t trained on, so it’s a massive relief we’ve got that run under our belt.” Appleby certainly doesn’t give the impression of being a nervous spectator, but at the half-way point at York he was anxious. Appleby recalls: “He half missed the break messing around and he was a bit buzzed-up for his first run back, but Tom (Marquand) let him fall out of the stalls, rather than get after him – he wasn’t leading like he normally would be, but he got the job done in style in the end.”
Big Evs has yet to race beyond 5f. “At some point we’ll try him over 6f – as he gets older there are more races for him over six. The way he won at Goodwood (last August) on heavy ground suggests he’d be likely to stay.”
There’s certainly no shortage of stamina in his pedigree, his half brother Soros won over 2m. The end game is another trip to the Breeders’ Cup, this time at Del Mar.
Appleby concludes: “Tom thinks he’s improved from last year, so if that’s the case we’ll be winning more Group 1s and I imagine if he won again in the USA he’d be retired to stud.”
So far it’s been a star-studded journey for Appleby and Big Evs’ sporting owners Rachael and Paul Teasdale (RP Racing). Named after Paul Teasdale’s late friend Paul Evans (known as Big Evs) it’s refreshing to know there’s more to life than cashing in for a fast buck.
To wind up on a prospective high note – and definitely a jazz-inspired one – James Fanshawe’s Kind Of Blue is this month’s nominated horse to follow after bolting in at Doncaster. He is surely a horse to keep on side in sprint handicaps this summer.
Like Big Evs, Kind Of Blue is a son of Blue Point, out of Blues Sister an unraced sister to Deacon Blues and a half-sister to The Tin Man, both abundant winners for the Fanshawe stable.
If you’ve hovered at being a jazz fan – it’s a vast genre – hover no more. I’d heartily recommend Miles Davis’s 1959 album Kind of Blue, frequently mimicked but seldom surpassed. The horse had better be as good; he certainly looked very useful making it two wins from two runs.
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