ROYAL HUNT CUP

(HANDICAP)

AMANDA Perrett has shown great patience with Zhui Feng, a classy handicapper who has sometimes struggled at the weights since running well in last year’s 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Hard to place afterwards, he had begun to look more effective on the all-weather and finished third in the Winter Derby over a mile and a quarter.

However, an excellent placed effort in the Victoria Cup over seven furlongs here last time demonstrated that he still had plenty of pace and could be ridden from the front. Everything came together this week as he again made the running towards the stands’ side, the difference being that he held on at 25/1, rewarding those who kept the faith over many a long month.

He was ridden to perfection by Martin Dwyer, a Derby-winning jockey whose career is taking flight again.

Making all over the straight mile takes some doing. Zhui Feng was never clear of the larger group towards the near side – only three raced on the opposite wing – but always looked to be going well. He was harried by several rivals from half-way but in the end it was Godolphin’s Blair House who finished strongly to be beaten half a length with Tashweeq right behind at 66/1, a remarkable price for a horse owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum and trained by John Gosden.

TROUBLE FOR TEMPEST

Ryan Moore and Ballet Concerto saved some each-way money in fourth. Victoria Cup winner Fastnet Tempest (9th) found trouble in running and had to be switched, but for which he would have finished among the placed horses.

“We knew stepping up to a mile would suit him and he was very tough,” Dwyer said of the winner. “It’s been unusual this year that in all the big one-mile handicaps there’s been no front-runners, but this lad gallops for fun. They gave me an uncontested lead and I was able to save him up and then go again.”

The race featured one of the gambles of the week with Abe Lincoln, absent since finishing a very close second in the Britannia Handicap a year ago, backed down to 13/2 clear favourite. Punters were taking a lot on trust with the ground totally different this time and Abe Lincoln faded out of contention after racing prominently to the furlong pole.

There is no doubt Jeremy Noseda can win a big handicap with him, although an easier surface may be the key.