Ruling Court and William Buick make an impressive winning debut © Photo Healy Racing
Ruling Court shot straight to the top of the ante-post market for next year’s 2000 Guineas with a devastating display on debut at Sandown.
Trained by Charlie Appleby and owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation, connections went to €2.3million at the Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale earlier in the year to secure the exciting son of Justify.
Sent off the 4-9 favourite for the Martin Densham & Peter Deal Memorial British EBF Maiden Stakes the same team landed with Arabian Crown 12 months ago – and has also been won by the likes of Nostrum and Classic ace Kameko in recent years – he obliged with the minimum of fuss in the hands of William Buick.
Sent to the front with the one-furlong marker approaching, he scorched five and a half lengths clear of his nearest pursuer in the closing stages to earn quotes of 12-1 for both the 2000 Guineas and Derby from Paddy Power and Betfair.
Buick told Racing TV: “He will have learned plenty today. He didn’t jump all that well, which you can forgive any horse running first time, but it was a nice, smooth performance and hopefully he can progress from here.
“I kind of passed a load of horses in a short space of time and probably got there sooner than I expected. It is always hard to read horses when they run for the first time, but he’s shown a good level at home and has brought it to the track.
“He’s got plenty of pace, so seven furlongs for now is optimal and he will get a mile when needed.”
Favourite backers got off to a winning start when Daniel and Claire Kubler’s Lil Guff (100-30) struck readily in the opening Do Not Miss Live Music Nights Handicap with Oisin Murphy in the plate.
William Muir and Chris Grassick’s Spaceport did not go unsupported at 13-2 in the George Lindon-Travers Memorial Handicap, while there was a taking display from John and Thady Gosden’s Enrico Caruso (9-1), who made it a winning handicap debut in the Aspen Insurance Handicap.
The four-year-old son of Roaring Lion now has two wins from four starts and winning rider Robert Havlin said: “He was slowly away and hit every bump down the back side.
“He’s a work in progress still but the further we were going, the better he was going – and in amongst horses, he kind of started coming good. Then up the hill, he kind of organised himself before running around a bit like his dad used to do.
“He was strong enough at the line and is lightly raced, so let’s hope he can improve again.”
There was also a popular winner of the last as the Clive Washbourne-owned Laura Bay (9-4 favourite) landed the concluding Racing Welfare Fillies’ Handicap for trainer David Menuisier.
