Exciting meeting at Sandown in the UK overnight with high class Ghaiyyath (IRE) stallion Opera Ballo rolling the hot favourite Fields of Gold in the Group II Bet365 Mile (1m), plus a blueblood Epsom Derby contender emerged for Shadwell and a new stakes-winner was posted by Pinatubo (IRE).
A two time Group I winner last year of the Irish 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, grey Kingman stallion Fields of Gold was all the rage in his seasonal return, but was not up to the task of running down race leader Opera Ballo.
Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, Opera Ballo had residual race fitness having won in Dubai in December and January including a victory in the Group I Jebel Hatta.
He led all the way to win by three lengths taking his overall record to seven wins from nine starts.
After the race the veterinary officer reported Field Of Gold bled from the nose.
“I'm delighted and all credit to the team at home. Opera Ballo has always had the engine there but, like his father [Ghaiyyath] he can be a bit energetic. We came here today with an open mind as we had a penalty and were dropping back in trip against a stellar field this year,” said Charlie Appleby.
“William [Buick] and I had discussed it enough times in the past [letting him lead] and, when the pace angles weren't there, we felt it was the right time to start him from the front. He's not a one-trick pony though and he'll probably go back up in trip for the Prix D'Ispahan (G1).”
Purchased as a yearling at the Arqana Deauville August Sale by Godolphin for €600,000, Opera Ballo is a three-quarter brother to stakes-placed Dyptique being the second winner from well bred Invincible Spirit mare Dubai Opera, a sibling to Group winners Lockwood and Earnshaw from Group III winner Emily Bronte.
The Group III Bet 365 Classic Trial (1m2f) produced an impressive winner in Sea the Stars colt Raaheeb, the full brother to champions Baaeed and Hukum.
Trained by Owen Burrows and ridden by Rossa Ryan, Raaheeb was having just his second race start following a maiden win at Ascot last September.
He created a big impression when cruising clear to win by more than three lengths.
"I've not had one as good three-year-old-wise, not with this potential this early," Burrows said.
"He's better than Hukum was at this stage, it's exciting.
"You dream to see something like that but it's a bit of a surprise. If we'd finished in the frame I'd have taken that as he's a once-raced novice winner and it was a good race, so he's very exciting.”
Raaheeb had his price slashed for the Epsom Derby and is now 8-1, although his trainer is not convinced he’s ready for that assignment.
The 145th stakes-winner for Sea the Stars, Raaheeb is a homebred for Shadwell and is the fourth stakes-winner from six winners out of stakes-winning Kingmambo mare Aghareed, a daughter of dual Group I winner Lahudood.
The Group III Gordon Richards Stakes (1m2f) was won by 4YO Pinatubo stallion Saddadd, who won a couple of handicap races last year and finished with a Listed placing in September.
First up this year, the Roger Varian trained stallion produced a career best effort to win by a length and three-quarters for Ray Dawson.
A homebred for Godolphin raced by Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum, Saddad is the eighth stakes-winner for Pinatubo and is a half-brother to Group III winner Almaqam from stakes-winning Cape Cross mare Talmada.
Pinatubo and Ghiayyath are due back in Australia this spring for Darley, the former priced at $27,500 and the latter at $88,000.
