Illustrious day for William Knight as Ascot
Keep the faith is the motto for many a trainer during times of adversity. Since William Knight first took out a trainer’s licence each journey to Ascot has been a return trip with a loser. Then, like buses, two arrived at once.
Not just any two, but a big-race double headed by Illustrious Blue’s victory in the Group Three Moss Bros Sagaro Stakes. On an afternoon that Ascot opened its doors to a non-paying clientele, as part of the Racing For Change free-admission initiative, this was a day that Knight could not put a value upon.
Jim Crowley bided his time on Illustrious Blue at the rear of the field and was still there as the leaders swung into the home straight. Aajel, who had been cutting out the pace, seemed to have claimed the prize when he kicked away from the hard-pulling Akmal at the two-furlong pole. But Illustrious Blue, who was being stepped up to two miles for the first time, had been making his ground steadily down the outside to grab the lead in the last 50 yards.
“We thought if we try it now we’ve got the rest of the season ahead of us,” Knight said. “So we’ve obviously got to stay at that trip now. We’re in the Yorkshire Cup so we might have to have a crack at that.”
As befits the sponsor, this race is supposed to be a trial for the Gold Cup but the winner was not even entered for that race. However, the Goodwood Cup looks an obvious mid-season target for Illustrious Blue, given that has won six of his 13 starts at that track.
If Crowley had been patient on Illustrious Blue, he was adventurous on King Of Dixie in the Listed Britain's Got Talent Paradise Stakes, taking the lead three furlongs out and then holding the challenge of the well-backed Cityscape to win by a neck. “He hasn’t raced that many times and I’ve kept pleading with the owner to keep him because I’ve always thought that there’s a nice race in him,” Knight explained. “He’s got such a lovely, big stride on him and I said to Jim just to jump out and let him use himself and I think a straight mile suits him down to the ground.”
The round mile proved to be no problem for Aviate in the X Factor Stakes and her victory was a welcome sign for Henry Cecil, who was posting just his fourth winner this month, but his second on consecutive days. The filly has an Oaks entry and is expected to run in the Musidora Stakes at York next month.
Richard Hannon is thinking of Classics closer at hand and proved the wellbeing of his horses when Zebedee won the Aldermore Stakes.
Having eased Zebedee in behind the leaders, Richard Hughes found himself briefly shuffled back to last place, and boxed in, but the jockey simply waited for his best option. Just approaching the furlong pole a gap emerged on the rails and Zebedee cruised through for his second win in as many starts.
He is clearly one of the best juveniles seen out thus far and Richard Hannon Jnr said: “He’s always shown us a lot. We thought they’d go pretty quick so we were keen to settle him and make him learn a little bit, just to bring him on a little bit more. But he was very impressive and we like him a lot.”
One lesson that Zebedee is unlikely to need is how to relax as he was walking round the parade ring almost without a care in the world. “He’s like that at home,” Hannon said. “Doesn’t do a stroke, he’s very easy to deal with – you hardly know he’s there. And that’ll stand him in stead for when he goes to the big occasions.”
The most obvious of those would be a return trip to Ascot in six weeks’ time - with a possible interim run in the National Stakes at Sandown Park at the end of May - and it was for the royal meeting that first signified the talent of Canford Cliffs when he won the Coventry Stakes last season.
The Hannon stable, whose Pollenator is becoming popular in the market for the 1000 Guineas, has never lost faith in the colt as a real candidate for the 2000 Guineas and that belief was nourished by a weekend gallop. “Canford Cliffs worked Sunday and he worked very impressively,” Hannon said. “We worked him in behind a very good horse of Stan Moore’s [Total Gallery] who won the Abbaye. He settled in behind that; he did everything right – quickened, we were absolutely delighted. Whether he gets a mile or not, I can’t answer. You won’t know ’til Saturday.”
Up until then they will just keep the faith.
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