€2.3m purchase Ruling Court creates big impression with smart debut win

Ruling Court shot straight to the top of the ante-post market for next year’s 2000 Guineas with a devastating display on debut at Sandown.

Trained by Charlie Appleby and owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation, connections went to €2.3million at the Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale earlier in the year to secure the exciting son of Justify.

Sent off the 4-9 favourite for the Martin Densham & Peter Deal Memorial British EBF Maiden Stakes the same team landed with Arabian Crown 12 months ago – and has also been won by the likes of Nostrum and Classic ace Kameko in recent years – he obliged with the minimum of fuss in the hands of William Buick.

Sent to the front with the one-furlong marker approaching, he scorched five and a half lengths clear of his nearest pursuer in the closing stages to earn quotes of 12-1 for both the 2000 Guineas and Derby from Paddy Power and Betfair.

Buick told Racing TV: “He will have learned plenty today. He didn’t jump all that well, which you can forgive any horse running first time, but it was a nice, smooth performance and hopefully he can progress from here.

“I kind of passed a load of horses in a short space of time and probably got there sooner than I expected. It is always hard to read horses when they run for the first time, but he’s shown a good level at home and has brought it to the track.

“He’s got plenty of pace, so seven furlongs for now is optimal and he will get a mile when needed.”

Celestial Orbit gave Ollie Sangster back-to-back victories in the European Bloodstock News EBF Star Stakes with an impressive display at Sandown.

Sangster registered the biggest success of his career when currently-sidelined stable star Shuwari got the better of Fallen Angel and Soprano in this race 12 months ago and returned to repeat the feat with this smart daughter of No Nay Never.

Much improved when getting off the mark at the second attempt at Haydock earlier this month, the youngster took another step forward in this Listed contest.

Ridden with supreme confidence by Jamie Spencer, tracking the big-race favourite Flaming Stone, 9-1 chance Celestial Orbit worked her way into contention travelling smoothly as that rival began to falter before galloping on powerfully to score by two and a quarter lengths.

She was handed a quote of 33-1 for next year’s 1000 Guineas by Paddy Power but in more immediate thoughts is a step up to group company, with Goodwood’s William Hill Prestige Fillies’ Stakes an option at the end of August.

Sangster said: “I’m delighted and she’s a lovely, well-bred filly who is very straightforward to train. She’s taken a large step forward from Haydock and hopefully she can keep progressing.

“Jamie gave her a lovely ride and rode her very confidently, tracking William Buick on the Juddmonte filly. He looked comfortable all the way up the straight really. She did it really well and showed a nice turn of foot to put the race to bed and hopefully there is more to come.

“I would say she would stay at seven furlongs for now. Her half-brother Nayef Road was a very good stayer – albeit by Galileo – and I suppose she will probably go up in trip at some point and maybe later in the year.

“In a month’s time, you have got a race like the Prestige at Goodwood, which is a Group Three, and then you have the May Hill at Doncaster over a mile. So, there’s some nice fillies-only options and we will keep her with the fillies and see how she can progress for the rest of the year.”

David Loughnane’s 66-1 outsider Anshoda, a 33-1 scorer at Lingfield on her debut, kept on to secure second place ahead of 6-4 market leader Flaming Stone.