Quirky Ciarrai Abu defies antics to remain on upgrade

Ciarrai Abu and George Wood (white cap) won The Coral Kincsem Heritage Handicap. Pic: Healy Racing

Ciarrai Abu defied his pre-race antics to justify favouritism in the Coral Kincsem Heritage Handicap at Goodwood.

Harry Eustace’s charge was a 100-30 favourite having won two of his last three starts, but his supporters must have been concerned as he was boisterous going to post and eventually unshipped his jockey George Wood, causing the race be delayed by almost 10 minutes.

However, he was as good as gold once the stalls opened, travelling strongly throughout and passing the post with a length in hand over Bourbon Blues.

There was drama further back in the field as Savvy Disko suffered a heavy fall under Wednesday’s Sussex Stakes hero Billy Loughnane. Thankfully the rider emerged unscathed and Savvy Disko walked onto the horse ambulance to be assessed.

Wood said: “It’s the first time I’ve had much to do with him but he’s always looked a bit quirky in the past. He’s not the most straightforward but he’s got an engine and hopefully he’s only going one way.” Eustace added: “He doesn’t make it easy for any of us, before or after, but he’s obviously got plenty of ability – we just need to direct it in the right direction.

“He’s obviously not straightforward so he then doesn’t want to arrive too quickly. He doesn’t make it easy but I thought George gave him an absolute peach.

“I’m not sure (how far he can go). He’s very much a horse we have to go very gently and softly with. It was a big step up today but off a light weight so we’re still very much in the handicap areas at the moment.

“He is owned by OTI as well and Tom Charlton and Tom O’Shea are due to receive him (in Australia) at some point. I suppose I could give them a call and see if we can hang on while there’s some summer ground around.” 

Loughnane may have been on the floor after the first but had cause for celebration later on the card when 24 hours on from getting the better of Ryan Moore and Aidan O’Brien aboard Bow Echo, he was at it again, this time in partnership with Roger Teal’s Avalon Queen (4-1).

Not disgraced in two outings over six furlongs, she thrived for the step up in trip in the Tatler British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes to edge out the regally-bred Ballydoyle favourite So Lovely by a head.

Teal said: “She shouldn’t have been running over six but we started her over those trips and Jason Watson rode her the last day and lost his irons on her (when third) and to his credit rode the last furlong with no irons.

“Jason came in and said she’s capable of black type and we targeted this race and said we’d go here before looking for the future.

“Billy the Kid is riding on a crest of a wave and when he hit the deck I was thinking that’s just my luck but he got up and gave her a smasher. He used the experience of her two runs and when I saw Ryan hunting her down I thought ‘here we go’ but it was nice to see her stick it out.

“She’ll probably step up to a mile now and we’ll go for one more run this year, try and find the right race then put her away.”