Bobsbest reports:
THE CoinShares Â鶹·¬ºÅ Derby was run in glorious sunshine before a large and appreciative crowd of spectators who saw one of the most competitive renewals for many years.
For all her success as a trainer, 13-time champion Alyson Malzard has not found the Derby to be her luckiest race; she last won it ten years ago with Rosetti, but aimed two well-fancied runners at this year’s renewal and duly collected the prize.
Sumatran Tiger was attempting to join the elite band of triple winners; she got warm in the parade ring, but ran really well under Raul Da Silva and, when he shot her clear two-and-a-half furlongs out, it looked as if she would achieve the feat.
However, Roi Du Monde was stalking her and the two fought out a great battle and, with Fred Tett timing his run to perfection, the Geoff Somers-owned gelding got up to win.
In a handicap Sumatran Tiger would have received 18lb from Roi Du Monde so she put up a tremendous performance to be second, getting just the 3lb mare’s allowance.
Her Derby record is now two wins and two runner-up finishes.
Cueros was held up to get the trip and finished well to be third.
As a postscript to the race, I am obliged to Phyllis Honey, who reminded me that the first three-time winner of the Â鶹·¬ºÅ Derby, It’s A Jinx, was ridden on the first occasion by his trainer Stephen Arthur.
Phyllis, who rode him regularly, remembers the horse winning for her and completing an additional circuit of the course because she could not pull him up.
Fifty years on, the Â鶹·¬ºÅ Derby is still the prize most coveted by owners and trainers.
It was an afternoon of close finishes, but also one bad start.
The Brady & Gallagher Sprint gave starter Mattie Batchelor a difficult time.
Agapanther was reluctant to line up with the other five runners and, as she was given repeated chances to behave, the other runners started to get worked up.
Sprinters have two speeds, stop and flat out and when the runners finally seemed to be in line the starter let them go, whereupon St Ouen reared up and the troublesome Agapanther was slowly away, effectively leaving just four in contention.
This quickly became two as Gemcutter and Bonny Power dominated, the former running on strongly under Fred Tett to take the prize.
Petite Fiametta, calmer in a hood and cheekpieces, ran her best race to be third.
Alyson Malzard has completely dominated five- and six-furlong races this season and it’s hard to see anything stopping her winning run.
The Polygon Collective Championship Handicap saw Profit And Loss stepping up to seven furlongs under top weight and he almost scored.
Evening Song set the pace apparently going well with the slow-starting Profit And Loss and Birkie Boy well adrift.
As they swept into the home straight Resilient Power hit the front and seemed sure to win, but he was tiring in the final furlong as Birkie Boy challenged and Profit And Loss was last to play his cards.
In an exciting finish Birkie Boy, well ridden by Laura Coughlan, held the strong late run of Profit And Loss by a fast diminishing neck with Resilient Power keeping on for minor honours.
Profit And Loss’s jockey Victoria Malzard had better luck with a first and last race double.
The Four Cousins Handicap Hurdle had four runners thanks to two from the UK and three of the four were almost together at the final jump.
Victoria Malzard had waited last of the four on Diplomatie for most of the two-and-a-half-mile trip, while George Bancroft and No Worries looked likely to fight out the finish.
But Malzard brought Diplomatie with a perfectly timed run to join the other two at the last hurdle and forged clear for a two-length win; No Worries just prevailed over George Bancroft for second.
It was the opposite tactics that won Victoria Malzard the Medicann 5th Birthday Handicap.
Allegro Jete had been disappointing so far this season, but the seven-year-old grey made almost all the running and repelled the late challenge of Between The Covers, who was conceding 21lb.
Nature ran on strongly over a distance well short of her best to be third.
The Best Turned Out awards sponsored by Magic Touch went respectively to George Bancroft, Lady Amanda, Cueros, Resilient Power and Allegro Jete.
So, four winners on the day for Alyson Malzard, the one that got away going to Celine De La Haye, and a frustrating one for Kark Kukk with two seconds and two thirds.
Team Malzard leads the trainers’ championship with 12 winners and Fred Tett is leading jockey with five.
Profit And Loss is beginning to look unassailable for the Polygon Collective Championship.
The next meeting is on Sunday 11 August, which is Ladies’ Day featuring the Ravenscroft Â鶹·¬ºÅ Oaks.
