Epsom Saturday review: Mokaatil delivers in Dash
First Epsom winners for Egan
David Egan rode his first winner at Epsom as Mokaatil comfortably landed the World Pool 'Dash' Handicap.
Sent off at 25/1, Ian Williams' charge worked his way across to the group racing down the centre of the track and a furlong out he went to the front.
From there nothing was going to get to him in traditionally one of the most competitive handicaps of the season, the six-year-old scoring by two lengths.
Only Spoofing led the group home on the stands' side to claim second ahead of Stone Of Destiny, who was unsettled in the stalls, but the Dash belonged to Mokaatil.
Egan said: “That was my first Dash, and it’s as quick as I’ve ever been on a racehorse, that’s for sure!
“It’s fantastic to do it for the Ian Williams team. He’s a horse I’ve ridden a good few times, five furlongs would be sharp enough for him, especially on this track. The key was to get him out of the gates and get a good position.
“I was sat second on our side and he took me into the race nicely, I knew he would stay further so I kicked nice and early and he did it well.”
Egan and Williams went on to complete a double on the card with Ejtilaab (3/1 favourite) who needed every yard of the six furlong trip of the Cazoo Handicap to reel in Muscika and win by a neck.
15:45 Epsom Downs Full result and FREE video replay
1 17 Mokaatil 25/1
2 9 Only Spoofing (IRE) 13/2
3 1 Stone Of Destiny 5/1
4 10 Mondammej 6/1
Winning Trainer: Ian Williams. Winning Jockey: David Egan
Sweet 16 for Oh This Is Us
Oh This Is Us recorded a 16th career victory when springing an 18/1 surprise in the Cazoo Diomed Stakes.
Tom Marquand tracked the pace on Richard Hannon's stable stalwart but looked booked for second at best when 2/1 joint-favourite Century Dream went for home.
However once in the clear the winner found a change of gear and it carried him to the front in the very last stride.
Winning trainer Richard Hannon said: “He’s my favourite (horse in the yard) and has been for some time. You never know when he’s going to pop up – he won at 66/1 at Ascot (in April). He’s never won a Group race before, so although there’s a Derby today, that’s probably mine!
“He’s won for something like eight different jockeys and Tom has won about seven on him – he’s just been a star.”
Considering future plans, he added: “He’s in the Royal Hunt Cup (at Royal Ascot), but we’ll find our way around the big meetings, like today, and be very kind to him. He deserved that today and it might set him up as a stallion. He drove the horse box here today and probably won’t retire until he’s 25!”
15:10 Epsom Downs Full result and FREE video replay
1 6 Oh This Is Us (IRE) 18/1
2 2 Century Dream (IRE) 2/1 f
Trainer: R Hannon. Winning Jockey: Tom Marquand
Prayer delivers for Murphy
Parent's Prayer ran her rivals ragged under a positive Oisin Murphy ride in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes.
Sent forward from stall two, she went three lengths clear of her rivals passing the two furlong marker and that was that.
Nazuna came through for second, ahead of favourite Statement who never threatened to land a blow from the rear of the field, but this was all about one horse, Parent's Prayer winning by two-and-a-quarter lengths.
Murphy told ITV Racing: “She was an ultimate professional and I’m thrilled for her owner. She’s a beautiful mover, a daughter of Kingman and she was always going to be a Group winner one day. It’s all just coming together.
“Archie’s horses are flying, a winner today and a winner yesterday at black-type level. He places them very well and the results are phenomenal.”
Winning trainer Archie Watson added: " “I think we will stay at a mile for now though I do think she would get further under the right circumstances, but there is such a good fillies’ programme over a mile that I don’t think we need to look beyond that at the moment.
“I know it is only 10 days or so to Royal Ascot, but the Duke of Cambridge would be the first option and then on to the Falmouth at Newmarket. If she misses Ascot we would go straight to the Falmouth.
“Later on in the season we can then look at races like the Sun Chariot, Matron and other races in France.”
14:35 Epsom Downs Full result and FREE video replay
1 3 Parent's Prayer (IRE) 4/1
2 8 Nazuna (IRE) 15/2
3 9Statement (IRE)7/4 f
Winning Trainer: A Watson. Winning Jockey: Oisin Murphy
Turner shines on Solent
Hayley Turner and Solent Gateway came out on top in a thrilling finish to the World Pool At The tote Handicap.
Tom Dascombe's charge picked a great day to register a first career win but it was tight. In a dramatic contest Greatgadian looked to have taken control approaching the furlong pole but he was run down by the both the winner and King Frankel.
The runner-up was last and struggling for much of the contest but found his stride in the closing stages but the photographic evidence showed the winner had held him by a nose.
Dascombe, surprisingly saddling his first ever winner at Epsom, said: “Epsom is the only Flat track I’ve never had a winner at. I took a two-year-old there on Friday (Flaming Rib) and strongly expected that to win and it finished second and I just thought ‘I’m never going to get a winner at Epsom’.
“Derek Passant is a joint-owner is a great fellow and I couldn’t be more happy for him. He is there and I’m not and I feel a bit embarrassed, but I had already committed to go to another owner’s birthday in deepest, darkest Wales.
“Derek wanted to go to Epsom, but I didn’t think he would get in so I took him to Chester last week to try to get a penalty. As it turned out we didn’t need to have done that as this race never filled up and we got in fine. I’m delighted to win a race like this with a maiden."
14:00 Epsom Downs Full result and FREE video replay
1 9 Solent Gateway (IRE) 28/1
2 2 King Frankel (IRE) 5/2
Winning Trainer: Tom Dascombe. Winning Jockey: Hayley Turner
Important win for Legacy
Midnights Legacy boosted his chances of replacing his sire, the late Midnight Legend, with a potentially important success in the Northern Dancer Handicap.
Midnight Legend was a superb servant to the Pitchall Stud team who are hopeful that this four-year-old might one day replace him and victory in the 12 furlong contest from a mark of 92 will see his handicap rating approach three figures.
Group One Legacy and course specialist Soto Sizzler were all the rage in the market and the former was allowed an uncontested lead as the latter lost several lengths after rearing up in the stalls as the gate opened.
Despite that Soto Sizzler emerged from the pack to creep up the inside of Group One Legacy, who folded rather tamely, and it appeared momentarily as though he was going to go on and record a remarkable success only to be overhauled by a powerful finish from Midnights Legacy who charged home down the middle of the track under William Buick to win by two and a quarter lengths.
Winning trainer Alan King said: "I think it does (when asked if tenacity runs in the family), the Midnight Lefends most certainly.
"We lost him a little bit last season, had a small wind op, and it's taken time but he was very good at Salisbury the other day.
"He looked to travel very well today and we knew he'd get the trip. I spoke to William afterwards and he said stick to a mile and a half.
"Ascot will probably come a bit quick for him and we've got one or two others for that mile and a half handicap (the Duke of Edinburgh). Scarlet Dragon won it last year and Raymond Tusk will have an entry and Tritonic will also be entered."
17:15 Epsom Downs Full result and FREE video replay
1 5 Midnights Legacy 12/1
2 3 Soto Sizzler 3/1
3 8 Group One Power 11/8 f
4 4 Australis (IRE) 22/1
Winning Trainer: Alan King. Winning Jockey: William Buick