Blinkers help Baron’s spring a surprise
Avonbridge, sent off the 3-1 favourite, was quickly into his stride and he set a swift early pace as Johnny Murtagh settled Baron’s Pit on the heels of the leader with Fayr Jag just behind.
Coming into the final furlong, Avonbridge was still in front but Fayr Jag (12-1) came storming down the outside to just get his head in front half a furlong from home. However, neither had counted on the burst of extra acceleration from Amanda Perrett’s charge and he came between the two to just get up by a neck.
Fayr Jag hung on for second while Avonbridge was a further half a length back in third.
Formerly a useful sprinter for Richard Hannon, Baron’s Pit had been something of a disappointment since joining the stable at the start of the season.
The application of first-time blinkers had the desired effect and Perrett’s husband Mark admitted he had started to wonder whether the son of Night Shift “was keeping a little back for himself” after he finished fifth at Goodwood last time.
“In fairness to him he ran well first time out at Goodwood and then when he was disappointing in Ireland the race may have come a bit too soon after his first race,” said Perrett.
“He broke down at the end of his three-year-old season so his owner-breeder Jeff Thomas has been very patient with him.
“It was just we felt recently that like the rest of us, as he got older he was starting to get a little wiser so that’s why we tried the blinkers.
“Now that he has got his head in front again, hopefully he might go in again now.
“He might come back for the Challenge Stakes, but we’ll have to see how he comes out of this once we’ve got him home.”
Murtagh said he was “feeling fresh and looking forward to the rest of the season” after sitting out the last three weeks of action through suspension.
“He was travelling well and I got behind Steve (Drowne) on Avonbridge who had got the rail with Richard (Quinn) on Fayr Jag on the outside,” the jockey went on.
“He really battled well in the middle. I got two smacks into him and he got there in the last 50 yards.
“The blinkers helped him. He’s had plenty of problems and they’ve done a great job with him. He was in great form today.”
Despite going down in unfortunate fashion having looked the likeliest winner at the furlong-pole, Fayr Jag’s owner Jonathan Gill was pleased enough.
“He ran a cracking race. We thought we had won but the line didn’t come quick enough,” he said.
The Group Three Bentinck Stakes back at the track on October 14 is a possible next target for the gelding.
Jockey Richard Quinn added: “From being drawn in 10 we got a nice position behind the favourite.
“We took it up as we hit the rising ground 75 yards out but the winner was just too strong.”
Avonbridge is likely to step back in trip to five furlongs for next Sunday’s Prix de l’Abbaye in which his trainer Roger Charlton is also likely to saddle Striking Ambition and Patavellian, winner of the Abbaye two years ago.
