Esquire produced a professional performance to prevail in the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes at Newbury for David O’Meara and Danny Tudhope.
However, connections of 2000 Guineas hotpot City Of Troy will not be losing any sleep over this result, as the gelding is not qualified to run in the Classics.
Tudhope sent the 16/1 winner on two furlongs from home and he quickly established a nice lead.
El Bodon, Zoum Zoum, Son and Alaskan Gold all tried hard to cut back the deficit but ultimately had to settle for a bunched finish for the minor placings.
Tudhope simply had to keep Esquire going along at the same pace up the rail to finish a length and a quarter clear of the chasing pack, with El Bodon and Zoum Zoum unable to be separated by the judge for second place.
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O’Meara said of the Cheveley Park Stud-owned winner: “I wasn’t sure he would stay the seven (furlongs) today and I wouldn’t be certain he would get the seven at Ascot (Jersey Stakes) either, but today has opened the option of seven. We thought we would give it a whirl and if he didn’t stay we would come back to six, but he saw it out well today so I will speak to Chris (Richardson) and Mrs (Patricia) Thompson and see what they want to do now.
“He obviously isn’t in the Guineas because he’s a gelding, but there’s always lots of nice races for a nice horse.
“We loved him before he won his maiden which was only at Hamilton and then he finished second in a Listed race at York, but he disappointed at Doncaster on heavy ground at the end of last season. I thought he could come here today and maybe finish fourth or fifth, but I wasn’t sure he would win.”
Jersey next for beaten favourite
Of El Bodon, Jane Chapple-Hyam said: “We are very pleased with how he performed and we will see how we get on with him, but at this stage he wouldn’t be a Guineas contender.
“He’s one who will improve as the season goes on and we will see how he comes out of this race. But I can’t see us going for the Guineas as he showed some speed there.”
Zoum Zoum is trained by Ralph Beckett, who said: “It was a good effort, he got pushed around and didn’t quite get his own way but it was a good effort nonetheless.
“We will aim for the Jersey and we might end up dropping back to six furlongs with him at some point. I think he will be suited by six furlongs once he’s learned his job, he’s a slow learner as you can see there. But it was a good effort and we will keep going.”
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