Morshdi sets up trip to Chester with Feilden strike

Morshdi announced himself as a Derby contender with victory in the Betway Feilden Stakes at Newmarket

Making his first appearance since breaking his duck at the second attempt at at York in October, the William Haggas-trained three-year-old was seemingly not that well fancied as a 14-1 shot but was always travelling strongly in the hands of Tom Marquand.

Having raced keenly early on, the well backed 9-5 favourite Poseidon’s Warrior came from further back to mount his challenge, but Morshdi was always doing enough racing up the hill to hold the market leader at bay by a length.

“He’s a lovely little horse and has always been a bonny horse,” said Haggas.

“I’m surprised he’s won today as we can’t have a winner at the moment, but that was very nice and Tom felt it was the nice distance (nine furlongs).

“Tom waited as he said the wind was terrible. When he was in behind he was getting buffeted about so he sat alongside James Doyle (riding third placedBourbon Blues) for a bit to keep out of the wind and then went. ”

Morshdi was cut to 25-1 from 50-1 by Coral for the Betfred Derby and Haggas is eyeing a stop-off at Chester en-route to a possible appearance in the premier Classic at Epsom on June 6.

He added: “I don’t know how much more he has to offer but he’s a lovely horse and all year I have been saying Chester – he will love it round there.

“He’s now got a penalty which is the only downside to that, but the Dee Stakes was always the race I had in mind, he’s tailor-made for a place like that.

“Coming into this year I think we have some nice three-year-olds and this is the first one we’ve run of the better group. I don’t know where this lad fits amongst them, I suppose he’s number one at the moment until the others prove themselves, but it’s helpful he has won and he was good today.”