Bend heading for Epsom as favourite

Irish raider Refuse To Bend kept his unbeaten record intact with a scintillating victory in the Sagitta 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

The Moyglare Stud-owned Sadler’s Wells colt, a 9-2 chance, leapt to the head of the betting for next month’s Vodafone Derby following his three-quarters of a length success over Zafeen. Norse Dancer was a further head back in third and Tout Seul fourth.

The slowly-run early stages of the one-mile Classic were dictated under duress by Muqbil and Saturn, with Pat Smullen happy to keep Refuse To Bend around three lengths off the pace.

With the field scrimmaging inside the final quarter-mile it was Hurricane Alan and then Tout Seul who gave their connections hopes of success until Smullen pounced on the Dermot Weld-trained winner with a well-timed run to take it up close home.

“He ran a super race,” said Weld. “He got a great ride from Pat Smullen and did it like a professional racehorse. He’s a very decent colt, that’s why he’s unbeaten.”

Weld, who trained Refuse To Bend’s half-brother Media Puzzle to win last year’s Melbourne Cup, felt his charge had a great chance of victory when he advertised his well-being with a smart home gallop on Tuesday.

“I delayed the decision but he worked very sweetly and the ground came perfect for us. I think the ground was absolutely a credit to Newmarket, they called it correct all week,” Weld said.

“I didn’t want to run him on very firm ground and waited to look at the make-up of the race before we committed him.

“This is a special day because now, with the strength of Godolphin and the strength of Ballydoyle, when you get the opportunity of a good horse like this you have to capitalise on it. It’s so competitive nowadays and it just means you’ve got to perform at your very maximum if you want to compete at this level.

“But it’s not frustrating for me. The last couple of years have been my best ever, it just means you have to raise your own standards.

“I have to pick my targets, aim, fire and get out again. By some standards my stable is very small.”

Weld paid tribute to Smullen’s performance in the saddle.

He said: “I have developed another great rider to follow on from Mick Kinane and Pat is the leading rider this season in Ireland, so I said to him ’you’re a champion, go out and ride him like a champion’, which is what he did.”

Refuse To Bend is now as short as 5-2 favourite for the Derby and Weld added: “I have to speak to Mr Haefner (Moyglare owner) but the Epsom Derby is a definite possibility.”

Smullen gained confidence as the race unfolded.

“I would ideally have loved to get a bit of cover but I had to do it the hard way,” he admitted.

“However, when I hit the rising ground there was only one winner.

“I assume Epsom is the plan and I think he’ll get a mile and a half. He’s a very laid-back horse, the type of horse you need to go on to big things.”

Mick Channon was philosophical about the performance of 33-1 runner-up Zafeen, the mount of Steve Drowne.

“Steve said that with a little more luck we might have been there, but who knows?” said the Lambourn trainer.

“I am thrilled that he got the mile well as it gives us plenty of options.”

Norse Dancer’s trainer David Elsworth will keep his options open for the horse.

“He is a very, very good horse who has worked well against our best horses,” he said.

“He is in the Irish Guineas but we could go for the Dante (York) or even the St James’s Palace Stakes (Royal Ascot).”

Seasonal debutant Tout Seul is likely to be sent across the Irish Sea for another Classic attempt, according to Fulke Johnson-Houghton.

“All being well he will go for the Irish Guineas,” said the trainer.

“I think he will improve for the run as he just got tired in the last 50 yards. I am happy with him.”

The race was not without incident and Hurricane Alan’s jockey Jimmy Fortune received a three-day ban (May 12-14) for careless riding after the stewards ruled that he had allowed his seventh-placed mount to hang left without straightening up, causing interference to Jay Gee’s Choice which resulted in trouble in running for Muqbil and Indian Haven.