Doncaster Saturday

IT’S been a long time since Mick Channon thrilled football fans with his trademark windmill celebration, but he continues to delight followers of the Sport of Queens on a regular basis, and showed that he was no back number by producing Johan (Silvestre de Sousa) to land the Lincoln on his debut for the yard.

Formerly with William Haggas, Johan was allowed to start at 28/1 as a pair of Haggas horses in Mujtaba and Ametist were heavily backed, but it was the one which got away that came home first, with the heavily punted pair out with the washing.

Johan was one of a trio from the lowest stalls who immediately disputed the lead, along with Saleymm and the same owner’s Irish Admiral, and that trio were still at the head of affairs crossing the line, with only Rogue Bear making significant headway among those drawn high.

At the finish, Johan was a length and a quarter to the good over Saleymm (Simon & Ed Crisford/Ross Coakley), with Irish Admiral beaten two lengths into fourth, and Rogue Bear splitting the pair from his poor draw.

Working well

Channon was represented by his son and assistant Jack, who had this to say in the aftermath of the season’s first big handicap: “I thought we had a chance. Johan is a very good horse and he’d been working really well.

“We thought about running in the listed race but when Chindit was in it we took a punt on this, and it’s paid off. He’s a straightforward horse who lengthens and lengthens and that is Silvestre’s bag - if he can just shovel the coal on there’s no-one better.”

THERE were a couple of possible improvers in the Doncaster Mile, but neither came up to expectations, and that left the clear form pick, Chindit (Richard Hannon/Rossa Ryan) to run out a comfortable winner by two and a quarter lengths over outsider Tempus (Archie Watson/Adam McNamara).

The winner didn’t need to be at his best, getting the job done despite pulling hard early, and hanging in the closing stages; those who backed him into an SP of 8/13 might have had an uncomfortable moment or two, but class shone through in the end, and Chindit ought to do much better with the freshness taken out of him.

He’s in the Lockinge at Newbury, and is likely to go there provided the going is good or quicker.

Rossa Ryan felt that the winner hated the tacky going, and added: “When he got to the front he held a bit back, which shows he’s minding himself. If he comes forward again hopefully a big one can fall in for him and we see the Chindit we saw as a two-year-old.”

THE Brocklesby is never the easiest race to assess given it’s so early in the season and there is no prior form to go on, but it has produced the occasional champion over the years, with 1971 winner Deep Diver going on to become champion sprinter. More recently Hearts Of Fire and The Last Lion have gone on to Group 1 success, and last season’s winner Chipotle added to his success in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot.

This year, the race was won in scintillating style by Persian Force (Richard Hannon/Rossa Ryan), with the full-brother to the trainer’s smart 2021 juvenile Gubbass looking in a different league to his rivals as he streaked near five lengths clear of Primrose Ridge (Darryl Holland/Jason Watson).

Persian Force, an expensive purchase at €225,000, was able to produce a speed figure to back up the visual impression, and he already looks a likely candidate for either the Norfolk or Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot. He looks more than just a precocious juvenile on this showing.

Analyst delivers

The Listed Cammidge Trophy threw up a surprise result, with the Keith Dalgleish-trained 12/1 shot Volatile Analyst (Callum Rodriguez) getting up close home to deny the well-backed favourite Diligent Harry (Clive Cox/Adam Kirby) by a head.

The runner-up looked sure to win when sent on over a furlong from home, but he did race quite enthusiastically on his return to action, and was worn down late by a horse having his third run of the year.

Volatile Analyst had disappointed in a seven-furlong listed race at Wolverhampton on his previous start, but is largely consistent, and bounced back to his best returned to turf to gain the biggest win of his career. He’s been tried at a mile, but is arguably best at this six-furlong trip, and this looks his level, as he will be hard to place in handicaps with his mark going up to 105 now.

The runner-up is likely to improve for this outing, as will Garrus, who was below form in fourth, but was left poorly placed, and was blocked when trying to make ground against the stands rail, which turned out not to be the best place to race.

“He’s won a couple of good ones now and it’s nice that he’s done it at this level because we’ve always held him in high regard,” said the winning jockey after the race. “Hopefully, he can have a good year. He’s a bit of a fiery character and he wants to get on with it, he gets a bit warm, but it certainly doesn’t slow him down.

“I was always pretty confident through the race, he got into a lovely rhythm and I know that he stays the extra furlong. The further he went through the race, the better he was getting. He’s really coming into himself and if he can keep on going like that hopefully there might just be a big one in him.”

Kempton Saturday

THE Listed Magnolia Stakes was rather a messy affair, but produced a game winner in the shape of Mark & Charlie Johnston’s Living Legend, who made the early running, and regained the advantage in the home straight before repelling the challenge of Al Zaraqaan to win by the narrowest margin at 12/1.

The six-year-old missed over two years with injury after finishing fourth in the Dee Stakes at Chester, but he looked at least as good as ever in gaining his first win at Stakes level. With favourite Fancy Man failing to give his running under an aggressive ride, this wasn’t a strong race for the grade, but the winner has a likeable attitude, and may yet do better given the time he has missed.