Ed Walker will roll the dice in a Derby trial with Waipiro after providing him with what he admitted was a ‘well-needed’ boost for his yard when opening his account in the bet365 British EBF “Confined” Novice Stakes at Newmarket yesterday afternoon.
Sent off an unfancied 25-1 chance the son of Australia, who is a half-brother to three-time Hong Kong Group One winner Waikuku, defied his double figure price tag to enhance his prospects of an appearance in the Betfred Derby at Epsom Downs on June 3rd.
Having taken the field along momentarily early on in the mile and a quarter prize, Waipiro swept past long-time leader, and favourite Liberty Lake, entering the final furlong, before winning going away by three and a half lengths,
Following the race Waipiro is a 33-1 chance for the Betfred Derby with the race sponsor.
Walker said: “He is a nice horse and we left him in the Derby because we thought he was a nice horse. He had a float around last year when he was very weak. He ran fine from a bad draw at Kempton doing all his best work at the end.
“He has been working well in the spring, though the horses have not been running as well as I like so it was a well needed boost for the yard. He is a raw horse and he behaved very badly and was very green.
“Physically he is only going to get better and better so it is exciting. I think we will run him in a Derby trial, but I’m not sure which one.”
Prepense bumped into now-retired Group One winner Commissioning on her debut on the July Course before suffering an odds-on reversal at Chester last time out, however the Kingman filly was not to be denied in the Rossdales Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.
Making her first start since undergoing a wind operation the 15-8 favourite put her previous experience to good use to defeat debutant Spring Dawn by half a length to complete a 33.5-1 double on the day for Sir Michael Stoute and a 344-1 treble for Ryan Moore.
The pair had earlier teamed up to score with Passenger (11-1) in the bet365 Wood Ditton Stakes, while Moore also steered the Charlie Hills-trained Garrus (9-1) to glory in the Group Three Connaught Access Flooring Abernant Stakes.
Stoute said: “She had minor wind surgery over the winter and that has helped her. She was very professional and hopefully we can find some black type for her.”
It was a case of saving the best until last according to trainer Charlie Hills who hailed William Buick for giving Harry Magnus what he described as the ‘ride of the meeting’ in the concluding Best Odds Guaranteed At bet365 Handicap.
Buried among rivals for much of the seven furlong trip the 5-1 chance burst through the gaps that appeared late on before prevailing by a length to complete a 59-1 double on the day for the Lambourn handler.
Hills said: “I think that was the ride of the meeting. It was his first run of the year and he was running a nice race. It was the most amazing ride I’ve seen for a while.
“He was drawn one at Goodwood first time out and he jumped right away from the field and he was then in no man’s land.
“Seven furlongs suits him well but he has got a bit of speed. We could drop him back in trip as he might get quicker. He has been a bit green learning his job.
“He has had a lot of gaps in between runs and he is not fully there yet.”
