Mali makes them look ordinary

THE Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Gimcrack Stakes would have been more informative with impressive Goodwood winner Barraquero in the field but he missed the party.

Some of those he dismissed in the Richmond Stakes did turn out but the form received quite a dent when they proved no match for Richard Fahey’s Sands Of Mali, who took control early on for Paul Hanagan and galloped away down the centre to beat Invincible Army by nearly three lengths with good yardstick Cardsharp a fair third. It was Fahey’s first success in the race.

Sands Of Mali, by the relatively unknown French sire Panis, was allowed to start at 14/1, possibly because many people tend to underrate Nottingham form at Grade 1 tracks. Yet the form of his Nottingham win had been franked by the runner-up Eirene winning a listed race on her subsequent start at Newbury and he had beaten that filly easily. In the end he ran out a straightforward winner and suddenly it was the Goodwood race which looked ordinary.

“It’s a big winner for the boss; he likes winning at York!” Hanagan said with a grin. “This is a big horse who can go on anything and I’m already looking forward to next year. I wouldn’t be afraid of taking anything on now.”

Whether Sands Of Mali is Guineas material (50/1 available) remains to be seen but part-owner Peter Swann, chairman of Scunthorpe United FC, was understandably delighted.

“I liked him at the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up Sale in April,” he said.

“He reminded me of Prince Of Lir, who won us a first Group 2 in the Norfolk Stakes last year. He was sharp and stocky but he’s grown into a proper racehorse now.”

It was quite a good afternoon for Swann. The Scunthorpe lads did quite well without him, winning 4-0 at Plymouth.