Two Tribes tops the charts in Classic battle for International prize

Two Tribes finished top of the charts after a Hollywood ending to the Moet & Chandon International Handicap at Ascot.

Richard Spencer’s four-year-old had been knocking on the door over this distance this summer and was sent off at 25-1 in the hands of David Egan for this feature handicap on the King George day card.

Richard Hannon’s Classic briefly looked like following up his Sandown success as the closing stages approached, but Egan was beginning to find top gear from Two Tribes and after the duo went to war in the closing stages it was Two Tribes who pulled out enough to score.

He returned a neck verdict over Classic, with his handler thrilled to see him get his head in front with £77,310 on offer to the winner.

Spencer said: “He’s been knocking on the door in some nice races and I actually ran him over six furlongs at York as I thought he had plenty of speed. Ryan Moore rode him that day and said to step him up to seven and the races since haven’t really panned out how we hoped for him.

“He’s not had a draw like this before in a big-field handicap, where they can drag him along. He hit the front today and didn’t do a stroke and he goes from hero to zero. Once the petrol gauge is empty you have got to go for him and David has done a great job.

“He’s been on the premises meaning to do that, but I’m glad he waited until today as there was a great pot on offer.”

Two Tribes holds an entry for next Saturday’s Coral Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood, but Spencer immediately ruled that out, instead suggesting a trip to York’s Ebor meeting is on the cards.

Spencer added: “He’s in the Stewards’ Cup, but we won’t run him and we won’t drop him back to six furlongs now, I think we’ll just campaign him at seven.

“There’s a few races for him and he’s one we had on the radar to take abroad over the winter. We’ve got a team ready to go abroad and this lad loves racing, takes no training.

“We’ll just have to see how he comes out of this race, but maybe we could go to York. We’ll just play it by ear really.”