The £100,000 Aston Martin “Dash Heritage Handicap, staged over the fastest five furlongs in the world at Epsom Downs on Derby Day, went the way of Jm Jungle (7-1), who took the honours by half a length in the hands of Jason Hart.
John Quinn, joint-trainer of the winner alongside his son Sean, said: “He deserved that. This year he’s run into a couple of better handicapped horses and run really well, so that’s great. There’s nothing for him at Ascot, but he’ll go back to York in three weeks’ time, then there’s Goodwood. He loves Goodwood, and so do we.”
Jason Hart said: “It was very smooth from my perspective. I got stuck on the wing a little bit, but I rode him in the three-year-old ‘Dash’ a few years ago and I got stuck in behind horses and could never really get him balanced and into a rhythm [that day]. On the wing there, I was able to get into a rhythm and he has toughed it out well. He keeps bumping into American Affair and it’s nice that he wasn’t in there today!
“Fair play to John and Sean, they have a knack with these sprinters of just getting them to keep improving when they get that little bit older. He deserved that as he’s run a load of consistent races and the handicapper hasn’t missed him for being placed, so it’s nice that he’s had his day.”
Hollie Doyle, rider of the runner-up Spartan Arrow, said: “Great run, loves the track and is obviously a bit of a course specialist. Probably wants slightly quicker ground, but he handled it today and I can’t really knock him.”
Stuart Williams, trainer of third-placed Existent, said0: “Rose (Dawes) has given him a good ride and steered him through pretty well. No complaints there, and we are very pleased with the run. He’s won nearly £50,000 in prize money this year just from being second and third.”
Previously in the £75,000 Betfred 3YO “Dash” over the same distance, Stormy Impact (7-1) handed teenage jockey Warren Fentiman a first course success when scoring by a length.
The 17-year-old said: “This is my first winner here. I had a great introduction - I rode Extinct for Stuart Williams here over five furlongs and came second, and I’ve been lucky enough to win this, which is brilliant. It’s amazing to ride a winner on Derby Day.”
Winning trainer Richard Fahey said: “At halfway I think we were last, or second-last; they must have run very quick because she’s not slow, and she was struggling to lay up. I did think she could run well here. I was struggling to find a race for her -I had to run her over six at Newmarket and I think five is her trip.
“She’s all speed. I think she will go for the Palace of Holyrood [on the Friday of Royal Ascot over five furlongs].”
Robert Cowell, trainer of runner-up Lexington Blitz, said: “He’s just a nice progressive horse. He really needed his run at York, where he was big and bulky and led for a long way on the wrong side, and that’s definitely stripped him fit. He seemed to enjoy the ground today and he’s loved the fast five. He might go to the Palace of Holyrood House at Royal Ascot, or something like that.”
Jamie Insole, joint trainer of third-placed favourite Ruby’s Profit, said: “She probably didn’t handle the track as well as we thought she might and Kieran (Shoemark) said she was always lugging down the camber a bit, and that’s probably cost him a length. She’s run a good race again off second top weight and she’s really progressive. She’s borderline Listed level now and there’ll be a nice race for her.”
