Saturday Review

Well done to those clients who snapped up the 12/1 (William Hill) on offer about Willie Mullins' claiming his second British trainers title in the Aintree Grand National Update. The head of Closutton dominated the final afternoon at Sandown on Saturday sending out a treble, including Graded victories for Gaelic Warrior and Il Etait Temps, and being responsible for the second, third, fourth and fifth in the Bet365 Gold Cup. Dan Skelton was denied for a second time following a superb campaign and it is only a matter of time before Paul Nicholls' former assistant goes one better. Mullins has a formidable squad of equine talent and Skelton couldn't match him over the final few weeks of the campaign. It was a terrific battle though which brightened up some otherwise run of the mill mid week fixtures. 

Switching codes, William Haggas sent out 3 winners from 7 runners on Saturday, including Opportunity in the opening novice stakes at Haydock. A well bred son of Frankel out of the high-class mare Izzi Top, he had shaped with promise on his sole start at Nottingham last backend. Callum Rodriguez had reportedly liked him, according to Haggas on page 96 of Ahead on The Flat, and he confirmed that view here. Stepping up to middle distances, Tom Marquand's mount was short of room on the far rail before being pulled out to challenge. Once seeing daylight, the Wathnan Racing owner runner picked up well to reel in the penalised Rahiebb close home and win snugly by a neck. Entered in the Epsom Derby, it is possible he will take his chance in a trial next month but Royal Ascot may prove a more suitable aim. A likeable sort who evidently stays well, he strikes as more of a Queens Vase / Melrose / St Leger type. He can only improve as the season goes on.

Harry Charlton is another handler in fine form with 3 winners from 4 runners on Saturday, including debutant Skimmer. Beautifully bred being a son of Kingman and a half-brother to St Leger winner Logician, plus stablemate Okeechobee, he made a winning start to his career in the ten furlongs maiden at Leicester. Well touted beforehand, he was taken wide down the backstraight by Oisin Murphy before making his challenge inside the final quarter of a mile. Pushed out to win hard held by three parts of a length, his jockey described the race as being falsely run but was impressed with his mount. Following one more run, one wonders whether the Juddmonte owned colt will be fast tracked into something like the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot. Either way, the Beckhampton team have two highly promising three year olds belonging to Juddmonte in Cosmic Year (runs in a Listed event at Newmarket on Friday) and Skimmer. 

One trainer who I regret not including in the Talking Trainers section of AOTF - and it was a borderline decision - is Owen Burrows. Sir Michael Stoute's former assistant has made a superb start to 2025 producing 5 winners from only 11 runners. The Lambourn based trainer's latest success came at Doncaster courtesy of Alfareqa in the seven furlongs fillies' maiden. A 1,600,000gns yearling by Frankel out of a Cheveley Park Stakes winner, she was well held on her sole start at Kempton last Autumn. However, she was a different proposition on her reappearance at Town Moor and very strong in the market, too. It may not have been the warmest contested maiden run this spring but Jim Crowley's made up a lot of ground inside the final furlong and a half before pulling away. Good value for her one and three quarters of a length victory, she could develop into a Sandringham Handicap filly at Royal Ascot (20th June) before seeking black type.

My eyecatcher of the day was Akkadian Thunder in the King Richard III Cup Handicap on the same card at Leicester. David O'Meara's five year old was making his seasonal reappearance and tackling six furlongs for the first time. Positioned towards the rail on the stands side, David Probert's mount travelled strongly but could find a gap when making his challenge. Crossing the line still on the bridle in eighth, he was beaten less than five lengths and is handicapped to win a decent race off his mark of 91. Connections feel he is at his best on straight tracks - the Victoria Cup at Ascot (10th May) looks an obvious target. Depending on what happens between now and September, the former Roger Varian trained gelding could emerge as a live player for the Ayr Gold or Silver Cup.