Cieren Fallon produced Montassib to perfection in winning the William Hill Cammidge Trophy Stakes at Doncaster.
Content to sit at the back of the field until just over a furlong out, Fallon weaved his way through on the William Haggas-trained 4/1 chance to beat 3/1 joint-favourite Marshman by a neck, with the other market leader Orazio another length and a quarter back.
It did look like Marshman had done enough after hitting the front, but his supporters were sunk by Fallon’s late surge, on a horse who ended last season with victory in the valuable Coral Sprint Trophy at York and is now a Listed winner. It was Fallon’s first winner since returning from a lengthy injury.
He said: “Last year, he was a frustrating horse for me because I felt I should have won the Ayr Gold Cup on him, but we at least ended the season with a win at York. I rode him work the other week and I said to the boss he’d improved again, he’d got quicker. He was such an easy ride today, anyone could have won on him. I’m very lucky that I was looked after well at Oaksey House, they’ve spent a lot of hours with me, I took my time as I was off for four and a half months, I didn’t want to come back too soon, I wanted to make sure I was 100 per cent.
“I’ve been back riding out the last three weeks and the boss has put me on some quiet horses to give me some confidence that way. I had a spin yesterday and I feel great, I feel better than ever and I don’t feel like I’ve lost any race-sharpness at all. I’m in a really great position, I’m very lucky to be riding horses like this.”
Assistant trainer Maureen Haggas said: “I thought Cieren gave him a lovely ride – it was a bit testing about a furlong out, but he got there. He was a talented two-year-old, then early the following year he had a problem with his heart, so he had the whole year off. He’s really done nothing but improve since then, he got his act together at the end of last year and he’s carrying on now. I think he needs a bit of cut to be seen at his best.
“We thought he was quite big today, as he had a good blow in his work, but he doesn’t look like he’s had much of a race today. He’s a lovely horse, one of those lovely people, so straightforward.”
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