Lingfield Derby Trial report and replay: Ambiente Friendly impresses
By David Ord
09:35 · SUN May 12, 2024
Ambiente Friendly ran out a taking winner of the William Hill Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes.
A 100/1 chance for the Betfred Derby going into Saturday’s race, he was slashed for the Epsom Classic in the immediate aftermath of this four-and-a-half lengths win.
Callum Shepherd was sitting pretty aboard James Fanshawe’s charge turning for home and when asked to quicken two furlongs out, he soon put the race bed.
At the line he was sweeping further clear of Aidan O’Brien’s front-running 6/4 favourite Illinois and bound for Surrey on the first Saturday in June.
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The winning rider told ITV Racing: “That was just exceptional. He gave me a great ride. I’ve been riding him in loads of work and I thought he’s come on so much from his first run back at Newmarket.
“He’s a much more relaxed horse, his work has been excellent and these were much quicker conditions today which he was unproven on. He won on soft as a two-year-old and handled it beautifully. I can’t speak highly enough of him, that was excellent.
“We had Ryan (Moore) on the front end who went a nice even gallop and I can’t believe how my horse split the field so comfortably. I couldn’t have expected if I was in a winning position to be looking around in a Derby trial, that was brilliant.
“I am so pleased with how he was mentally. That’s full credit to James Fanshawe and his team. We look forward to Epsom now.”
An impressed Callum Shepherd heads to weigh in
Paddy Power initially made Ambiente Friendly 10/1 to follow up at Epsom but that price was soon cut to 8/1.
Fanshawe’s son and assistant, Tom, added: “He’s hopefully an exciting horse. We don’t get many horses that head for the Derby, but thanks to Mr (Bill) Gredley it looks as if we do now. He’s always been a nice mover and everything he does is effortless. We know Charlie Appleby and Aidan will have contenders, but we feel we have every right to be there.”
Regarding the O’Brien runners, Kevin Buckley, UK representative for Coolmore, said: “Illinois will improve a lot for this experience as he’s a full-bother to Venice Beach, but I like the way Declan’s (McDonogh) horse (The Euphrates, fourth) stayed on after being well back at the top of the hill.”
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