Bastiman savours Border success

Wetherby-based Robin Bastiman enjoyed his biggest success as a trainer when Borderlescott ploughed through the soft ground to take the £30,000 Coral Sprint Trophy at York.

The 20-1 chance benefited from a positive ride from Royston Ffrench to go clear after hitting the front at the halfway stage in the six-furlong handicap.

His stride was shortening inside the final furlong but the post arrived in time and the progressive three-year-old held on by three-quarters of a length from Machinist (8-1) with Rising Shadow (11-1) a short head away. Les Arcs (33-1) was fourth.

Steady rain made conditions very testing and Bastiman had been concerned about the ground for the star of his small stable.

He said: “I didn’t know about the ground. If you look at him and see the size of his feet you’d say ‘no’ – so he must be good.

“That’s my biggest win in 35 years. He’s the best handicapper I’ve had.

“I’ve never had a Group horse – I wouldn’t know what one looked like – but I know this lad is good. He’s the best I’ve had by a long way.

“He won’t run again this time and with another winter under his belt, he could be anything. He’ll be in all the big races like the Stewards’ Cup.”

The victory was also a timely boost for Ffrench, who is back riding as a freelance having recently parted company with Howard Johnson.

“Everyone was worried about the ground for him because he likes it fast,” said Ffrench.

“We normally drop him in but we couldn’t do that because of the ground being so soft. So we just rode him positively and he’s done the job.

“Different tactics, different ground but it worked very well. We did enough early on to burn them off and it’s difficult to come from behind so that’s why we adopted different tactics.

“This feels very, very good.”

Kevin Ryan worked his magic with another two-year-old when Balthazaar’s Gift obliged on his first start for the North Yorkshire trainer in the Newton Investment Management Rockingham Stakes.

The Hambleton-based handler has enjoyed considerable success with his juveniles this season, highlighted by Amadeus Wolf’s wins in the Gimcrack and Middle Park Stakes.

He added to his tally in that division when Balthazaar’s Gift, a disappointment at Newbury last time, ran out the comfortable two-and-a-half-length winner of the Listed contest.

Neil Callan was always travelling strongly on the 9-2 chance before letting him stride on with two of the six furlongs left to go.

The son of Xaar then drew readily clear to score in style.

“He’s a little bit straight in front and he looks as though he might have had trouble with his shins so I thought this softer ground would suit him,” Ryan said.

“I wouldn’t think he’d be a horse who’d want to be rattling on fast ground.

“He has a lovely attitude. You could call him the winner at halfway and when he quickened there, he quickened like a good horse.

“I’ve only had him about three weeks and he’s settled in well and he looks to be quite an exciting horse.

“He’s got such a lot of natural pace. We might give him one more run and then see how he comes on over the winter but I would say he’d make a sprinter.”

Krugerrand once again showed his liking for the Knavesmire when he recorded his third win at the course in the Symphony Group Stakes.

The 10-1 chance was given a patient ride by 5lb claimer Steve Donohoe, who produced the Willie Musson-trained gelding with a challenge down the stands side to lead close home and beat Goodbye Mr Bond and Nevada Desert by a neck and the same.

“That’s the third time he’s won here over this trip – nine furlongs round a bend really suits him,” the Newmarket trainer said.

“I thought the ground might have got a little bit soft but we got away with it.

“The lad rides very well. He’s been with me for about three months and I’m sure he’ll make the grade given the chances.”

The testing conditions proved no bar to success for The Nawab in the Shepherd Building Group Stakes over a stamina-sapping two and a half miles.

John Dunlop’s charge, the only three-year-old in the race, wore down the front-running Dr Sharp over a furlong out and stayed on strongly to win by three and a half lengths to provide jockey Jimmy Quinn with his first win at the track in the last five years.

“He stays forever but we weren’t sure about the ground – that was our only worry when it started raining this morning,” explained Dunlop’s representative Terry Docwra.

“He’ll be very interesting next year.”