Longines Sagaro Stakes (Group 3)

JUST touched off by Alan King’s Trueshan in the Long Distance Cup over course and distance last autumn, Coltrane (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) turned the tables in no uncertain terms to land Ascot’s Group 3 Sagaro Stakes at 11/4 on Wednesday.

Coltrane was progressive last term, landing the two and a half mile Ascot Stakes before stepping up to beat Trueshan in the Doncaster Cup, and although beaten on Champions Day, he has clearly continued that progress into the new season.

Trueshan had been beaten by Rajinsky at Nottingham last month and again disappointed despite quite an aggressive ride from Hollie Doyle, finishing only fourth and now looking like a horse with something to prove.

Doyle quickened the tempo aboard Trueshan over half a mile from home, but Murphy always had her firmly in his sights, and the result was inevitable shortly after the field straightened for home, with Coltrane easily getting past a struggling Trueshan, and having no trouble scooting clear to score by four and three-quarter lengths.

Wise Eagle (Adam Nicol/Danny Tudhope) kept on best of the others to claim second, with El Habeeb (Kevin Philippart de Foy/Andrea Atzeni) getting past Trueshan in the dying strides for third.

Balding said: “He looked very good when he won the Melrose (at three) and he hasn’t really looked back. To come back here in June is the plan and he’s very versatile ground-wise and he’s a course and distance winner.”

Commonwealth Cup Trial

Cold Case (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee) finished best to win the Group 3 British Racing School 40th Anniversary Commonwealth Cup Trial, beating what looked a strong field, including Coventry Stakes winner Bradsell (Archie Watson/Hollie Doyle).

That colt looked the likeliest winner when bursting clear at the two-furlong pole, but the son of Tasleet had been sidelined since picking up an injury in the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh in August, and he found that lack of match fitness against him in the last 100 yards, losing out by a length and a half to the 5/1 winner, and caught on the line for second by rank outsider The X O.

Winner of the Two Year Old Trophy at Redcar last autumn, Cold Case was briefly outpaced when Bradsell set sail, but produced a strong finish to land the spoils, and will surely be back next month for the main event, where a rematch with Bradsell would be intriguing.