Canberra Legend opens up Classic possibilities for Ferguson

James Ferguson admitted it was ‘very exciting’ to have a horse the calibre of Canberra Legend, who advanced his Classic claims when maintaining his unbeaten record in the bet365 Feilden Stakes at Newmarket on today, day two of the bet365 Craven Meeting.

The son of Australia, racing in the colours of Bon Ho, defied his relative inexperience when following up his debut success at Newcastle 58 days with a game success on his first start on turf in the nine-furlong Listed contest under Daniel Muscutt.

Buried away amongst runners early doors it wasn’t until the concluding stages of the race that the 15-2 chance began to work up a sustained head of steam and mount a serious challenge.

Having landed the race 12 months ago with Eydon victory looked to be heading the way of trainer Roger Varian for the second year in succession as last time out course scorer Kolsai swept to the front just outside the furlong pole pass long-time leader Killybegs Warrior.

However it was not to be with Canberra Legend, who holds entries in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York and Betfred Derby at Epsom Downs, wearing him down close to the line before scoring by half a length.

Ferguson said: “I was delighted how professional he was when the gates opened. From that wide draw he had every opportunity to be keen and free but he settled into the race really well.

“I thought he was given a lovely ride and from the jockey’s action it looked like he was pretty happy the whole way so I’m thrilled.

“He has always been a big type, and even though he is that big he did show his class at two. We all made an executive decision to leave him and let him develop over the winter and that run at Newcastle and today he has shown that he does have that ability we thought he had at home which is nice to see as normally it is the other way round.

“I was very hopeful. Simon Scott, who rides him every day, is very experienced in racing and he has ridden some good horses in time and every day I’ve been like is this alright and he has been like just relax James he is in really good order.

“The whole way through his training has been fairly smooth so credit to the guys back home. They all do a wonderful job. I was hopeful today. When he won at Newcastle in such a quick time and he thoroughly enjoyed it and didn’t really know what had happened after the race but he was obviously going to come on for the run.

While Canberra Legend was trimmed in 20-1 for the Betfred Derby by the race sponsor and both Paddy Power and William Hill, the Newmarket handler insisted he would hold talks with connections before making any decision regarding his next target.

Ferguson said: “I think he will definitely get further in time whether it (the 2000 Guineas) is unlikely or not I can’t say that without talking to the owner.

“We’ve got a lot of options ahead of us and it very exciting to have a horse of this calibre for his owner who has been with me since I started.

“He is in both (Dante and Derby). I think we have to see how he comes out of the race and the Guineas is not that far away. He looks like he wants further but I have to talk to the owner first.”

Tiger pounces

Ferguson left Newmarket in high spirits after celebrating a 33-1 double at his home town track completed by the victory of yard favourite Like A Tiger, who defied an awkward moment in the stalls before landing the Price Promise At bet365 Handicap.

Fresh from celebrating his first winner at his local course with Canberra Legend in the bet365 Feilden Stakes the Group One-winning handler ended the day on a triumphant note following the victory of the Farhh colt in the mile and a quarter contest.

Despite being slowly away the 3-1 favourite quickly made swift headway under Daniel Muscutt to latch on the rear of the field, before moving smoothly into the lead inside the final quarter of a mile and going on to score by four lengths.

Ferguson said: “He has obviously improved a lot from last year and his pedigree said it will. I’d say I’ve got a bit of stalls work to do and I took a ticket to go (in last). He is normally very relaxed so that did surprise me.

“Luckily they didn’t go very quick so he caught up nicely and it didn’t take too much out of him. I think the ground was a big player today as you can see his knee action.

“He has got a very soft ground action and good to soft plays into his favour and I can see him getting a mile and a half no problem.

“He came in off a light weight and he has the usual entries and we will have to see how he gets on. He is a very likeable horse at the yard and he is a bit of a yard favourite.

“It is wonderful team of owners, but the main owner is the Nas Syndicate, who are the same owners as El Bodegon, who was my first Group One. I’m thrilled.

“I wouldn’t want them to take each other on in the Dante if Canberra Legend goes there and I don’t think there is any need to do that.

“We have a really exciting team and a number of good quality horses in the yard. I had my first winner on the Rowley Mile earlier and now I have my second. I’ve tried hard for a long time and I’ve had a lot of failures.”

Silver Lady takes gold

Big race entries might not yet be by the side of Silver Lady, however they are likely to be in the not too distant future according to trainer Charlie Appleby following her debut success in the bet365 European Breeders’ Fund Maiden Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket.

After being the subject of rave reviews on the gallops in the lead up to the mile prize the Sea The Stars filly, who is a half-brother to Listed winner Highland Avenue, did not disappoint under champion jockey William Buick amongst a field of smart types.

Despite showing a tiny sign of greenness once getting to the front the even money favourite soon put matters to bed when straightened up by Buick before scoring by three and three quarter lengths.

Appleby said: “She is a filly at the end of the day was well touted. She has done some nice homework and she has got a great pedigree being out of Lumiere.

“She is by Sea The Stars and she is a half-sister to Highland Avenue who we had a lot of tout about as well. She is a good looking filly.

“We’ve not put her in any big races as we know the nature of the beast. Her mother Lumiere was a great race mare and Highland Avenue we’ve had the experience with and she just might want time.

“Her home work has been very good of late but she is a filly that I think to be honest with you we will look after.

“That is what I love about Newmarket as it up the road. She has done what she has done and within 48 hours she won’t have known she has had a run.”

With stablemate Dream Of Love already prominent in the betting for the QIPCO 1000 Guineas the Godolphin handler admitted he is likely to swerve supplementing Silver Lady for that and instead work back from the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He added: “She hasn’t got any lofty entries and she is not in the Guineas at the end of the day. I think we will get back and take a look at it all.

“The 1000 Guineas might just come a bit too soon. She is a filly that has had a lovely experience here. We have a filly in the Guineas in Dream Of Love who is a realistic filly to be running in there.

“I don’t think we will be supplementing her for a Guineas as we want to ideally give her time and I think she will repay us. The Coronation could be the plan.

“Is she an Oaks filly, no, I think she has got too much pace for it and she hasn’t got the experience for a race like that either. It is a family that has got huge talent but they have got to be minded.

“It is probably the route I will go is tip toe (towards Ascot) rather than throw her in the lions den.”

Landmark win for Ffrench Davis

Dominic Ffrench Davis continued his flying start to the season after Surely Not provided him with his first success on the Rowley Mile since taking out a trainer’s licence in 1994 when landing the Connaught Access Flooring Handicap.

Winless with his previous 33 runners at the track the Lambourn handler finally ticked trainer a winner at the course from his to do list after gelded son of National Defense sprouted wings late on under Hollie Doyle to score by two and a quarter lengths.

Ffrench Davis said: “I’ve never had a winner on the Rowley Mile. I’ve had lots of placed horses here. I’ve been placed in a Group Three and Listed races.

“I had a nice winner on the July Course called Indeed and he was placed in Group races here. It is nice to (have my first winner here) and hopefully there will be many more. We could do with a Guineas winner!”

A trip to Royal Ascot could now be on the agenda for Surely Not, who was registering the third success of his career and first start since undergoing a gelding operation over the winter.

He added: “Our plan was to drop him in. Silvestre (de Sousa) when he was in the country rode him at Goodwood last year and he wrestled him back to last and switched him off for a bit then came with a super run.

“Hollie rode him at Newbury next time out and settled him last and he came through with a good run that day. I ran him once too often last year.

“The ground was very heavy at York and he got a little bit above himself. We picked his pockets over the winter and he has really settled down and that has made a man of him. I think he is a lovely horse.

“He is a half-brother to a horse William Haggas had called With Thanks who was a Group winner. We thought he might be a 90 horse and he was off 79 today so I think he had a few pounds in hand.

“There are lots of good handicaps for three year olds and we would obviously have to think about Royal Ascot if we are going to be good enough to go there and we may have to have another run in between depending on what the handicapper does.”

Orazio delivers

Charlie Hills intends to work back from the Royal meeting with Orazio who secured his first success since making a winning debut at Windsor almost two years ago when coming from the rear of the field to land the Weatherbys Digital Solutions Handicap.

Having missed all of last season with a setback the four year old son of Caravaggio, who signed off his juvenile campaign in the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes at York, rewarded his connections perseverance when prevailing by a length in the six furlong event.

Hills said of the 9-1 winner: “We had to miss the whole of last season. It was always the plan to give him a run in the winter to try and get a bit of freshness out of him and then bring him back to the turf.

“He was placed in the Rose Bowl (at Newbury) and his last run was in the Gimcrack, where he was one of the fancied runners.

“Then he had something wrong afterwards but now we are here. He had a setback at this time of year last year which needed a bit of time.

“I’d like to work back from the Wokingham (at Royal Ascot) really.”