Ancient Wisdom was cut to 12/1 for both the 2000 Guineas and Derby after running out a sparkling winner of the Emirates Autumn Stakes at Newmarket.
A 2,000,000 guineas son of Dubawi, he won his first two starts at Haydock before finishing third behind Rosallion in a Listed race at Ascot that has worked out very well.
However upped to a mile and racing on softer ground, Charlie Appleby’s charge looked a different proposition on Saturday, travelling powerfully and bounding clear from the furlong pole to score by three-and-three-quarter lengths.
Beresford Stakes runner-up Chief Little Rock (7/2) chased the 2/1 joint-favourite home with Ambiente Friendly (16/1) third.
Sky Bet cut Ancient Wisdom to 12/1 from 33s for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas and 16/1 for the Betfred Derby. Paddy Power and Betfair go 12/1 for the Epsom Classic.
Appleby said: “We were disappointed that we were beat at Ascot, but that race worked out so well you couldn’t really be disappointed in it. I’ve probably mismanaged him running him back at Newmarket. He broke his maiden at Haydock Park and I went to Newmarket thinking I could try and get a bit more experience. He is a Dubawi and I was probably forcing him a bit too much so after Ascot we said collectively we will give him a break and we toyed with this and the Zetland.
“I said to William he is a horse that will travel for fun stepping up a furlong and also the conditions out there were going to suit him. I said to ride him with mega confidence. I said sit up there and travel in the van as he will pick up for you, and he has duly obliged. He is a horse next year that will be a middle-distance type. He is a horse that I do feel a mile and a quarter will be well within his comforts and a mile and a half I personally think he will appreciate going that trip.
“He is a Dubawi and as we know with those middle-distance type Dubawi’s you can’t force them too much in the spring of their three year old career so therefore something like a Dante might be a target for him.
“Whether we take a run before the Dante we will just see where we are in the spring, but we have a long winter ahead of us now. It is nice to be able to put these horses to bed on the back of an impressive victory. This is a race I always feel you have to target a sensible horse with. They might not all become Group One horses, but they will all be punching their weight at Group race level once they have won this.
“We have got him, and Arabian Crown and they have been at the top of the pecking order as they are the two horses out of our colts division that have campaigned at a higher level. It is nice to have those markers in the sand for the winter when we have got some of the maidens coming through over the next couple of weeks.”
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