Karl Burke and Clifford Lee completed a big-race 49/1 double at Newbury when Convergent overcame trouble running to land the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes.
The 4/1 winner was all dressed up with nowhere to go passing the two furlong marker and Lee found his intended passage against the far rail cut off by William Buick aboard eventual third Tenability.
But switched to the centre of the track the four-year-old showed a smart turn of foot to go to the front inside the final 100 yards.
Al Aasy also finished to good effect but he couldn’t quite mater Convergent’s acceleration which carried him to the line half-a-length to the good.
The winner is 8/1 from 20s with Sky Bet and Paddy Power for the Coolmore Coronation Cup at Epsom.
Earlier on the card Burke and Lee were on target in the Greenham with Alparslan.
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Burke said: “The only other that would jump to mind that has been as good over this sort of trip is Al Qareem, but he is more a mile six horse and he wouldn’t have the gears of this lad. I think we will certainly have a go at the Coronation Cup, but I think the King George at Ascot, with the track and everything. would be fantastic for him.”
Lee added: “From the cutaway I could see them edge over and I was a little bit in no man’s land. The race sort of developed and the field got run a run on, but luckily the horse had the engine to get me out of trouble. He just got touched off in the German Derby, and of course that was in Germany, and that is a bit different to England, but he is a lovely horse and we all like him.
“The main thing he needs to do is settle, which today he was lovely. I’m not sure if he will light up after today, hopefully not, but I wouldn’t rule it out (winning at the top level) as he is a nice horse.
“He would be up there with them as I nearly got me my first Classic in Germany. He is a lovely horse and he will win a real nice race soon. When I got back riding out and got the all clear to have a good go ahead the horses were in fantastic form back at home. This is what it is all about to enjoy these nice days when you win these big races. I’m delighted for all the team as they work hard through the winter.
“At the time the accident did knock me as it wasn’t nice. It knocked my ego a bit. I’m very straight minded and I’m quite bullish about things when I want stuff done. I never do things half heartedly . If I’m going to do it I’m going to do it one hundred and fifty percent.”
William Haggas said of the second and third: “They have both run very well. The winner should have won a minute as he was very unfortunate, but they just couldn’t hem him in long enough
“The young horse, Tenability, is going to have a good career and Al Aasy was marvellous, but the winner was too good today. The winner would have been the unluckiest loser of the season so far if he hadn’t won.
“Tenability will go up a few pounds for that, but I think he has proved he is at that level and he will get a bit fitter for that. He doesn’t want a lot of training, he just wants managing correctly over the next two or three months and he will then have a productive career.”
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