Newbury Saturday

NEWBURY’S BetVictor Hungerford Day on Saturday was staged on good-to-firm ground and produced a commanding winner of the Group 2 Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes in Coppull (Clive Cox/Hector Crouch), who starred in a treble on the card for his rider.

The three-year-old had finished fourth in the July Cup and was tackling seven furlongs for the first time, but Crouch was positive from the outset. Coppull raced prominently, switched towards the far side four furlongs out and led two out before drifting left to the far rail in the final furlong.

The strong-finishing Prince Of India (Marco Botti/Pat Dobbs), just a length behind Coppull in the July Cup, emerged as the only serious threat, but Coppull kept finding to score by a length and a quarter, with favourite Symbol Of Honour (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) a further three-parts of a length away in third.

Sky Bet and Paddy Power cut the winner to 10/1 for the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock, although Cox also mentioned the Park Stakes at Doncaster as a possible alternative.

Cox said: “I was thrilled with him, but he had to prove that he got that seven furlongs. That prospect was always alive and very possible. That will give him a bit of confidence more than anything. The way he has won that, with such authority, was class.

“We won this race for the first time with Lethal Force back in 2012 and it was similar, as he made the running that day. To be able to hold on, against a quality field of Group 1 performers - it is a really special feeling and a joy to be here.”

WINE Dark Sea (Harry Charlton/Hector Crouch) provided the first leg of Crouch’s treble when making all in the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes over a mile and five furlongs.

The 7/2 chance had been as big as 16/1 when the market opened and those who plunged on him were always on good terms with themselves, as he was soon in command and, after being shaken up under three furlongs out, had enough left to repel the staying-on Tabletalk (Tom Clover/Saffie Osborne) by a length and a half.

Favourite Dubai Honour (William Haggas/Tom Marquand) travelled in touch and moved into second two furlongs out, but he could not quicken with the winner and was run out of the runner-up spot in the final strides.

Owner Dan Gilbert recently sold an interest in Wine Dark Sea to Sonny Grebe and Australian Bloodstock and this win guarantees him a place in the Melboune Cup, which is the end-of-season aim for the son of Ulysses.

Wine Dark Sea impressed when winning handicaps at Ascot and Carlisle earlier in the season, but disappointed at Newmarket’s July meeting, which the trainer put down to a gruelling race and travel regime for his Carlisle success, saying: “Although he won on the bridle at Carlisle, he broke the track record carrying top weight, so you can’t have an easy race, particularly travelling eight hours in a heatwave.

“He’s a horse who stays very well and Hector gave him a lovely, uncomplicated ride. Once he was able to get into that rhythm in front, he was always going to be hard to pass.

“The intention today was to finish third, which would help with the ballot qualification for the Melbourne Cup and he has done more than that. The Aussies who I’m dealing with were saying finish third and they won’t change his handicap mark. It is very different how they do it.

“My brother trains in Australia and has a Melbourne Cup runner as well. I have a team going down with the horse and you train out of the quarantine barn at Ballarat.”

Rest of the card

HECTOR Crouch was the man to follow on Saturday and brought up his treble on Addison Grey in the TPT Fire Handicap, while the five-furlong handicap went to Rhythm N Hooves (Robert Cowell/Marco Ghiani), who saw off Hypnotised by a neck to win the televised contest for the second consecutive year.