Chindit lands victory in the Superior Mile at Haydock Park
Chindit (5-2) showed his class to run out a fine winner of the opener, the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile Stakes at Haydock Park on Saturday afternoon.
Richard Hannon’s five-year-old, who has run well at Group One level in the past including when second to Modern Games in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury at the start of the season, dropped down to Group Three company and proved too good for his rivals. Having also been third to Witch Hunter in the Group Two Hungerford Stakes also at Newbury on his most recent start, Chindit returned from a 60-day break to dominate the mile contest on Merseyside. Under James Doyle, Chindit was always travelling well in midfield off the pace set initially by Point Lynas. But after the turn for home Doyle moved him up to take over the lead. And with chief market rival Light Infantry (11-8 favourite) stuck behind horses on the inside rail, under Jamie Spencer, Chindit kicked a couple of length clear two furlongs from home. Kept up to his work by Doyle, he stretched clear to score by two-and-a-quarter lengths from Light Infantry with Regal Reality (15-2) a further neck back in third.
Winning jockey Doyle said: "He is likeable horse. He has run some huge races in his time. It was a nice opportunity for him on paper – it looked a match race between him and Light Infantry. We didn't get off to a great start early on. As we know it is quite sharp here but we didn't get going. But they didn't go crazy (in front) and went enough that I was able to hit the line good and come into it nice and strongly. Between the three and two (furlong pole) I could see Jamie down the inside and I thought it was time to get on my bike a bit. And he does stay this trip (mile) well. I asked him a huge question from a fair way out but he is a class horse and he got the job done well."
Hannon, who was not at Haydock, said Chindit is likely to bid for more Group race prizes around the world. Speaking away from the track, he said: “He didn’t run his race last time at Newbury and he was a bit disappointing, but he was right back to his best and he looked like the Group One horse that I think he is. Mr Poonawalla purchased him to see his mares once he retires from racing and he has now won a Group race at two, three, four and five. He looks right back to his very best form.
“We will certainly look at some nice pots abroad now where there is fast ground. There are a couple of races in Australia and races around two bends over a mile in America and he might even be the sort of horse that gets an invite to Hong Kong. There are lots of options for him, although today I really did think he looked like a Group One horse. I’d love to win a Group One with him as I know he is that sort of horse. Sean Fox deserves a mention as he has done a great job with him. We were all disappointed and he was one of them but he has helped get him back and it has been a great team effort from everybody at home.”
Naqeeb (5-2) scored on his handicap debut in the Get Daily Rewards With Betfair Handicap and trainer Willie Haggas is hoping he can go on and be a Group race performer over staying distances next season. A half-brother to the yard's brilliant Baaeed, Naqeeb has taken a while to come to hand and has a long way to go to have any comparison to his former stable-mate and sibling. But having got off the mark at the fourth attempt in a novice event on the all-weather at Kempton, he was given a mark of 100 on his handicap debut stepped up to 1m6f. And he looks like he will be much better than that after scoring by a length-and-a-half from the fast-finishing Blindedbythelights (15-2) with 9-4 favourite Denmark a further length-and-a-quarter adrift back in third.
Davideo and Lordship cut out the running with Naqeeb sat in third and Denmark in fifth for much of the race. But when Tom Marquand asked Naqeeb to go forward, he readily went to the front and after a battle with Denmark, he hit the front and went clear.
Haggas said: "I was surprised as I though 100 (handicap mark) was steep for him, but he has improved a bit going up in trip and I think he will be a good stayer next year. How far he will go, I don't know. But he is a big, raw horse and has still got lots to learn. I don't know but I suspect he will have one more (run, this season) if I'm lucky.
"He is not as quick as Baaeed, I think he wants another mile. But he is a big, raw, maturing horse from (sire) Nathaniel and if he can end up half as good as those two, that would do me. He is useful. It looks like it has taken him a while for the penny to drop. It took him a long time to win, then he mugged by Middle Earth at Newmarket and now Middle Earth is probably has a chance in the Leger. He is going to be 105 now so he is going to have to be better than a handicapper. If he isn't he is going to be in no-man's land. So we hope."
