Chanon makes Derby point
Championship Point made it three wins from four starts with an impressive display in the Letheby & Christopher Predominate Stakes at Goodwood.
Mick Channon’s charge was a warm order for the Derby Trial and, after the withdrawal of his stablemate Youmzain, was sent off the 4-5 favourite.
Ted Durcan had the colt on the outside all of the way and despite taking his time to pick up in the straight, he started to pull clear in the final three furlongs for an authoritative success.
The three-year-old eventually scored by an eased-down four lengths from Sienna Storm and was cut into 25-1 from 50s for the Vodafone Derby with totesport and William Hill, while VC Bet introduced him at 33-1.
Channon confirmed Epsom in June 3 is now the plan, saying: “He won easily and had a proper attitude and we’ll go for the Derby now. The ground won’t be a problem unless it’s like a road, and it won’t be.
“My only slight doubt beforehand was about whether he’d stay and now we know he does.
“The dam won a Group Two over six furlongs but she’s from a Hollingsworth family full of stamina and Lomitas is also a staying influence.
“I’ve always looked at him as a Derby horse and Ted was actually convinced he’d get the St Leger trip.
“I’ve always thought he was a very good horse and was underrated by people last year. It was only when a horse he had given 5lb to (Linda’s Lad) went on to win a Group One in France that people started to believe in him.”
Durcan added: “A mile and a half won’t be an issue for him, he has a lovely action and stays well.
“At home he works with average horses, he wouldn’t beat anything there but on the course the sparks fly.”
Rising Cross and Soft Centre dead-heated in a thrilling renewal of the Listed 32Red.com Lupe Stakes.
The former made a challenge three out and looked to have the mile-and-a-quarter race at her mercy when going clear in the final furlong.
But John Best’s 8-1 chance was reeled in on the run to the line and had to share the spoils with the fast-finishing Soft Centre (25-1).
Nyarhini was a further three lengths back in third, with Deveron putting up a disappointing show as Godolphin’s first runner of the campaign.
Sent off the 7-4 favourite and the only one of the six-runner field entered in the Vodafone Oaks, the filly was niggled along in the straight and finished last under Kerrin McEvoy.
Best said of Rising Cross: “She’s so tough and doesn’t know how to run a bad race and I honestly thought beforehand we’d finish close up to the second and third favourites (Nyarhini and Suzy Bliss), because she had no run at all behind them at Kempton.
“She had also finished second to Nannina here so deserved to win a race like this.
“We also put her in the Cheshire Oaks on Wednesday and we will have to have a think about that.”
Soft Centre’s trainer Amanda Perrett said: “It’s always a nice surprise to win a Listed race. The filly runs well fresh and the step up in trip helped.
“We’ve had so many seconds lately that I thought we were sure to come off worse in the photo finish.
“I’m not sure where she’ll go next. We talked about the Swettenham Stud Fillies’ Trial at Newbury but I’ll leave it to the owner to do the race planning.”
