Chindit comes out on top in Summer Mile at Ascot

The Richard Hannon-trained colt may be 0-6 at the very top level, but owner Michael Pescod is keen to take on the Queen Anne winner who, on official ratings, is considered the best in the world.

Chindit had finished eight lengths behind Baaeed at the Royal meeting, having been five lengths behind in the Lockinge prior to that.

Yet the son of Wootton Bassett enjoyed his favoured fast ground and despite being a market drifter at 85/40, yielding favouritism to Mutasaabeq in this Group Two contest, he was not about to give best to him in the race itself, with Pat Dobbs’ mount getting the better of a protracted duel.

Jim Crowley looked set to score as the Charles Hills-trained Mutasaabeq travelled sweetly off a modest pace, only for Chindit to keep finding and get up on the bob, having initially been headed.

Retired city lawyer Pescod has yet to own a Group One winner, but hopes Chindit will be able to break that duck.

He said: “He won the Champagne at Doncaster, which was not shabby, but this was always going to be his race.

“I have a nose-bleed now. I am in territory I don’t understand. I have never had a Group One winner and if you tell me where Baaeed is going to go, I will tell you if this is the horse who could be the first.

“We are entered at Goodwood and we have to do it really. We are not going to duck him.

“He is certainly one of the best horses I have owned – he is pretty good. I still get a big thrill out of it. Why not? I have got to have something to do in my old age.”

Dobbs fells Chindit will handle a step up to a mile and a quarter at some stage, bringing races such as the Juddmonte International at York into the equation.

The winning jockey said: “He is relaxing a bit better and he is finishing his races off. He used to be a little bit headstrong.

“Jim headed me and I thought he’d go away, but that helped me. We didn’t go mad fractions, so it suited my horse and allowed him to get into his rhythm.

“He kept plenty in the tank and I always thought he would get 10 (furlongs), so we’ll see.

“I think he will get that trip now he is relaxing and is mature.

“He has always been solid and once he gets his fast ground, he always runs sweet.”

Asked whether he would fancy taking on Baaeed at Goodwood, he smiled: “It is not my decision, although I don’t think we need to be taking Baaeed on at any stage.”

Rest of Ascot: Mountain peaks again

Ed Walker will consider options that perhaps include the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the Prix de l’Abbaye for Mountain Peak, who gained recompense for his runner-up effort in the Epsom Dash, taking the Betfred Heritage Handicap Stakes at Ascot.

Tom Marquand gave the seven-year-old – the first leg of a double on the card for Walker – a confident ride and he duly obliged in a head-bobbing finish to the five-furlong dash, beating Bond Chairman by a nose.

Connections were thinking about retiring the Swiss Spirit gelding after he failed to show his old spark last term, but Walker says he is now looking at a step up in class with his 11/1 winner.

“This year we have been second in a Wokingham and in a Dash, last year we were second in an Ayr Gold Cup and we had a second in a Stewards’ Cup and these sprint handicaps have eluded me and driven me slightly mad.

“This isn’t quite as famous, but it is a big pot and a lovely race to win – he is my first horse to ever win 10 races. It was his 40th race, so a 25 per cent strike rate for a handicap sprinter is not bad. He is also a bleeder, so he has had his problems.”

Walker pointed to Marquand as a big part of the reason for the upturn in form and paid tribute to the rider.

He added: “Something has clicked this year. He was a horse who lost his way. We almost retired him a number of times because it wasn’t happening. The last time he won here, it would have been the last run of his career if he did not perform – and he won.

“Tom just leaves him alone and lets him find his rhythm and it is a fast old rhythm and it seems to burn everyone else off. He’s not bad, is he? Tom is up there with the best in the world. His work ethic, his energy, his ability in the saddle is phenomenal.”

As for future plans, Walker admitted he was thinking on his feet.

“We are getting out of handicap company and it starts getting a bit difficult,” he added. “We will have to go up in class and if I really wanted to take a chance with him, maybe a Breeders’ Cup Sprint or an Abbaye? I don’t know. We’ll have to think hard.”

Mountain Peak has now been part of three Ascot doubles for Walker, who followed up with Random Harvest (6/1).

The lightly-raced four-year-old War Front filly made up for a neck defeat in the Kensington Palace here on her last run, earning success by the same margin in the Village Hotels Fillies’ Handicap under Saffie Osborne.

Neil Callan, who ended an 11-year association with racing in Hong Kong last summer, is back and better than ever.

He gained a 34th winner of the year with a powerful ride aboard Bague D’Or, who fended off the Hayley Turner-ridden Berkshire Breeze to win the Hi-Speed Services Handicap. The Chris Wall-trained winner backed up his Newmarket success from three weeks ago off a 2lb-higher mark to score by a neck.

The just-turned 44-year-old Callan said he is keen to return to the lofty weighing-room status he had before leaving for the Far East.

“I’m still building, but I’m getting there slowly,” he added. “As with any sportsman, you aim for the highest bar, you don’t aim for the next rung.

“Obviously, I want to get back. I was top five before I left, so that is where I want to be. Whether it is or isn’t achievable, I want to give it my best shot.

“I am a very determined person and I feel like I am riding well. I don’t have goals, but I want to keep going up. Shoot for the moon and if you miss, you’ll hit the stars.”

Defence Of Fort, a February colt by Starpangledbanner, showed plenty of class on debut to take the British Stallion Studs EBF Restricted Novice Stakes.

Peter Chapple-Hyam’s debutant, a flashy chestnut with four white socks and owned by Sally Wall, has plenty of size about him and was backed from 33/1 to 12/1 overnight.

Jason Watson’s mount got a nice tow up the stands rail and went on to take the seven-furlong event in some style from Berkshire Phantom.

Watson, who was riding his first winner following a spell on the sidelines with injury, said: “He’s a nice sort and a big horse. We thought he might be a bit immature for this first outing, but going down to start he took me down nicely and came alive when he hit the track.

“He is a nice horse going forward.”

Hollie Doyle kept things simple aboard the Charlie Appleby-trained Wild Crusade to bring up winner number 99 for the season in the Magnum Classic Ice Cream Handicap Stakes.

The Dubawi three-year-old was having his first run since being gelded and Doyle made all the running in the mile-and-a-half affair, burning off her two rivals to score by two and a half lengths.

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