Tag Archive for: Fitzdares Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes

Appleby thrilled to see Military Order advertise Classic credentials

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Charlie Appleby has already used the Fitzdares Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes to prepare one Betfred Derby winner – and he was left “delighted” by the performance of Military Order, who will now head to Epsom primed to perfection attempting to give the Moulton Paddocks handler his third victory in the Classic.

The Frankel colt had won two of his first three outings, but this was his first real test as he tried to justify the lofty reputation that being a full-brother to a Derby and King George winner brings.

Military Order’s elder sibling Adayar finished second in the Lingfield feature in 2021 before triumphing at Epsom, and Military Order proved he is indeed made of similar stuff, showing his quality under a fine ride from William Buick to hold off Ed Walker’s Waipiro.

The Listed triumph now puts him firmly in the Derby picture, and Appleby believes the experience at Lingfield will serve him well ahead of his big-race assignment on the Surrey Downs in three weeks time.

He said: “I was delighted with that, he learnt plenty today and it was a great ride by William.

“We were going in there today with confidence based on what he had achieved to date.

“It was a mile and a half with the race being on the all-weather track, so we saw him see it out well.

“He has a pedigree and a profile there that is coming along very nicely into hopefully a Derby horse. I know he has now gone joint-favourite (for the Derby) and deservedly so. We will obviously now be keeping an eye on what happens next week in the Dante, but I was very pleased with him.

“I’m just delighted to see Military Order confirm he is the horse we feel he hopefully is going forward.”

Waterlogging to Lingfield’s turf track meant the trials day card was run on the all-weather for the first time since 2012 – with Appleby enjoying a fine afternoon on the synthetics as Eternal Hope gave him a first success in the Fitzdares Oaks Trial Fillies’ Stakes.

The daughter of Teofilo does not hold an entry for Epsom on June 2 and may not be seen until the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot, but equally the Moulton Paddocks handler has not ruled out adding her to the Oaks line-up and will be keeping a close eye on how the fillies’ Classic is shaping up, particularly in terms of the ground.

Eternal Hope ridden by jockey William Buick winning the Fitzdares Oaks Trial Fillies’ Stakes
Eternal Hope ridden by jockey William Buick winning the Fitzdares Oaks Trial Fillies’ Stakes (Steven Paston/PA)

“The filly had experience on the synthetics and travelled round there well and picked up well and saw it out well as well, so I was really pleased with that,” continued Appleby.

“What sort of strength of depth was in there, we will have to wait and see.

“But in terms of supplementing her for an Oaks, we didn’t run her in the Pretty Polly at Newmarket because of the ground so that would have to be something we keep an eye on and therefore the likelihood is we will look more towards the Ribblesdale with her.

“I’m not saying we won’t (supplement) and we will be keeping an eye on the Oaks picture.”

Military Order marches to Epsom with stylish Lingfield win

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Military Order shot to the top of the Betfred Derby market as he went one better than his brother Adayar to claim the Fitzdares Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes.

Adayar finished second in this in 2021 before going on to triumph at Epsom and his high-class sibling took his record to three wins from four starts in the manner of a high-class operator himself.

With waterlogging to Lingfield’s turf track meaning this was run on the all-weather for the first time since Main Sequence’s victory in 2012, William Buick had Military Order travelling nicely behind the pace set by James Tate’s Regal Empire

The pack began to bunch as the eight-strong field approached the home bend and when Regal Empire angled out spinning the turn, Buick seized the opportunity to nimbly slip up the inner and set sail for home with Ed Walker’s Waipiro the only one to match strides with the athletic son of Frankel.

The duo went toe-to-toe up the home straight, but it was the even-money favourite who came out on top by a length and a quarter at the winning post, with a further four and a quarter lengths back to the King’s Circle Of Fire in third.

Although the race has provided Charlie Appleby with a Derby winner in the past, it is the first time he has won the Listed event and Military Order now heads to Epsom as Betfair’s 4-1 joint-favourite alongside Auguste Rodin, while Coral make the colt their outright 7-2 market leader.

“He did everything I asked him. He’s come through that really well and will have learned plenty, not that he needed to be shown,” said Buick.

“Today was a different test to Newbury, but when I asked him to quicken into a gap running downhill he didn’t hesitate. He was totally relaxed and beautifully balanced.”

Military Order looks smart
Military Order looks smart (PA)

Alex Merriam, Appleby’s assistant, said: “It was pretty straightforward. It took him a while to get rolling, but he saw it out strongly.

“All systems are go for Epsom, he’s had a run on grass and now a run down a bit of a hill.

“Last year we were blessed with some good milers but this year we have some nice mile-and-a-quarter and mile-and-a-half types.

“Military Order is a similar size to Adayar, but a sharper model.”

He added: “Castle Way is a good prospect, but I think he will go to Ascot (King Edward VII Stakes).

“Flying Honours is going to York and it will be interesting to see how he gets on in the Dante if we get some decent ground there.”

Walker, meanwhile, will press on with his Derby plan for Waipiro after his gallant effort.

“The winner got a run up the inside and the horse that made the gap pushed us out and onto the wrong lead, making us disorganised, but we still gave him a run for his money,” he said.

“Rob (Hornby) couldn’t pull him up and I think we have to go to Epsom.”

Circle Of Fire tests Derby credentials at Lingfield

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The King could yet have a Betfred Derby runner during his coronation year as Circle Of Fire attempts to book his ticket to Epsom in the Fitzdares Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes.

The late Queen famously had a Derby runner just days after her own coronation in 1953 when Aureole went down narrowly to Pinza in the Epsom showpiece and 70 years on, the quest to see the famous purple and red silks in the winner’s enclosure after the premier Classic continues.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Circle Of Fire impressed when breaking his maiden at Salisbury on his second start and again caught the eye on reappearance, finishing second in the Newmarket Stakes over 10 furlongs.

He is now stepped up to the Derby distance and is reported to have sharpened up from his Rowley Mile return ahead of this Listed event, which will be run on the all-weather for the first time since 2012 due to waterlogging on Lingfield’s turf course.

Ryan Moore will once again wear the King’s colours aboard Circle Of Fire
Ryan Moore will once again wear the King’s colours aboard Circle Of Fire (David Davies/PA)

“Sir Michael is very pleased with his progress from Newmarket and the extra two furlongs will certainly be to his benefit,” said John Warren, racing manager to the King and Queen.

“This race will give us a good steer as to where to go next.”

One horse that was due to appear in the same Newmarket contest as Circle Of Fire was Ed Walker’s Waipiro – who had won in commanding fashion at the track in his previous start.

However, he was withdrawn after rival Forca Timao kicked out on the way to the start leaving jockey Tom Marquand requiring stitches.

The son of Australia was none the worse for the incident, with the jockey bearing the brunt, and Walker has been quick to reroute his charge to a race in which he tasted success with English King in 2020.

“The plan was obviously to run at Newmarket, which I would have preferred to have done for obvious reasons – it probably wasn’t as strong a race and he was proven over the track and trip,” said Walker.

“The tight nature of this track I don’t think will suit many Derby type horses, but he’s a well-balanced horse and I would rather run on the all-weather than heavy ground.”

He went on: “You don’t tend to get too excited about the trials, because the nature of trials is you walk away most of the time with bubbles burst and going back to the drawing board. We don’t have a heap of mile-and-a-half horses to compare him to, so we need to compare them to other peoples. So we go there knowing as much as you do really.

“The horse is fine, the poor old jockey took the brunt of things last week. He seems really well and I think there is more to come from this horse and he will get better as the season goes on.

“After Saturday we will know which route we are going – hopefully we are going to Epsom, but if not then hopefully it is Royal Ascot. It’s a strong race but he has a good draw and fingers crossed for a big run.”

Charlie Appleby’s Adayar was second in this in 2021 before going on to triumph at Epsom and it is somewhat fitting his brother Military Order will continue his own charge towards the Derby here.

“Military Order goes into this on the back of a good win at Newbury,” the Moulton Paddocks handler told www.godolphin.com.

Military Order after shedding his maiden in style at Newmarket
Military Order after shedding his maiden in style at Newmarket (Adam Morgan/PA)

“We have no real concerns with the switch to the all-weather, while we feel stepping up to this trip will see further improvement. This is his next test that will hopefully propel him on to being a Derby candidate.”

William Haggas’ Laafi was a place behind Military Order when the pair met in a hot Newmarket maiden on debut before winning a Nottingham maiden named after Derby hero Golden Horn on his second start.

The Cloth Of Stars colt could possess plenty of untapped potential moving up in trip, while similar comment applies to the John and Thady Gosden-trained Inquiring Minds who bolted up at Newcastle on his racecourse bow earlier this month for owner-breeder Anthony Oppenheimer.

“I don’t see why he won’t run a nice race, but the opposition looks really strong. This will tell us what kind of standard he is,” said Oppenheimer.

The Kingman colt would have to be supplemented for the Derby if successfully navigating this trial, but does hold an entry for the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, a race Oppenheimer thinks could suit well.

He continued: “The King Edward is the sort of race one thinks he might enjoy. I would think he will be more suited to Ascot (than Epsom).

“I think he is quite useful, but I don’t think he’s number one in the stable, so I don’t think we can expect too much.”

Andrew Balding’s Ndaawi had his momentum checked in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud last October but had previously won at both Epsom and Goodwood and now makes his reappearance, while the eight-strong line-up is completed by the James Tate-trained pair of Regal Empire and Think First.