Eddery the moral winner
Pat Eddery was on the mark with Moral Duty in the second division of the EBF Maiden Stakes at Windsor for a victory which evoked memories of years gone by.
His brother Paul took the mount and was riding in the silks of Khalid Abdullah with which the elder sibling had so many of his greatest days in the saddle.
Moral Duty may be no superstar – this was his fourth race – but he appreciated the easier ground and went away to beat Sakhacity by a length as the 3-1 joint-favourite.
“He really liked the ground today as he ran a nice race first time out at Ascot when it was very soft,” said Eddery.
“He has run a couple of times on quicker ground and he really wasn’t very keen.
“Today, the ground was there for him and he has galloped on really well at the end.
“He’s a nice colt, he’s very well-bred and he’s a good looking horse. It’s very nice to get a win into him,” he told At The Races.
Corrybrough looked a horse with a bright future when winning the first division.
Henry Candy’s juvenile had chased home Brian Meehan’s Exclamation – who subsequently won a valuable sales event at Newmarket – on his debut but made no mistake this time in the hands of Dane O’Neill.
The 11-10 favourite beat Jane Chapple-Hyam’s newcomer Barnaby Rudge by an easy three lengths.
The winner is by a former Nunthorpe winner, Kyllachy, also trained by Candy.
“We have always thought a lot of him,” said James Stafford, racing manager to owners Thurloe Thoroughbreds XXI.
“He got very tired on his debut, but that form now looks very good. He’s a great big horse, but he tries as well and when they are like that you can’t go wrong really.
“It was good to get a win under his belt before the end of the season, but I don’t think the handicapper will be very kind after the way he has just won and the form of his debut.
“It’s great to have a winner by Kyllachy with Henry as we enjoyed some great days with him.”
Ryan Moore was once again seen to great effect when producing Duchess Royale to win the Bank Of Scotland Handicap.
But the outgoing champion jockey needed all his powers in the saddle to drive the slightly reluctant filly to lead inside the final furlong.
Sir Michael Stoute’s charge had to be be driven along in the early stages by Moore but once the penny dropped, she picked up in fine style.
The 4-1 shot beat Rudry Dragon by three-quarters of a length, with the same distance back to 11-4 favourite Zero Cool in third.
Godolphin’s fantastic form continued as Kerrin McEvoy guided the debutant Shadowy Figure (7-4 favourite) to a stylish victory in the Windsor Fireworks Extravaganza Saturday 3rd November Maiden Stakes.
It looked as if Moore had ridden another winner as Stoute’s Red Blossom kicked clear.
But when McEvoy asked Shadowy Figure to quicken, although the response was not immediate, he eventually showed a really smart turn of foot to win by a cosy half a length.
It was a fine end to the season for McEvoy, who now returns home to Australia to ride Luca Cumani’s Purple Moon in the Caulfield Cup.
Amanda Perrett’s Perfect Reward (9-2) won the Peter Wickens Cedar Bar Promotions Handicap, while Mark Johnston’s Suzi Spends (8-1) got up late to land the At The Races Nursery.
