Channon celebrates Newmarket winner on day imminent retirement announced

Caernarfon proved a timely winner for Mick Channon, landing the British Stallion Studs EBF Montrose Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket on the day the trainer announced his imminent retirement.

Channon will hand over the licence to his son Jack in the new year and Caernarfon will surely be a horse for him to look forward to following this Listed verdict.

Having her seventh start of the season, the Cityscape filly was one of the most experienced runners in the field but even so was available at 11-1 in the hands of Connor Beasley with punters siding with the once-raced Dream Of Love as the 5-2 favourite.

It looked as though that market confidence would prove justified as she took up the running from pacesetter Conservationist with three furlongs to run, but Beasley was getting a great tune out of Caernarfon, throwing down a challenge up the stands rail.

She pulled clear and while she faltered slightly in the final furlong, Caernarfon had half a length in hand of Dermot Weld’s Irish raider Keep In Touch with Dream Of Love back in third.

Channon said: “She has got a great cruising speed and I just said to Connor to get her rolling down the hill.

“He said he got there far too soon, but the race stopped and fell apart on him. Then she is in front and she stopped. She is a nice filly and she seems to be going to right way as all she has done is improve.

“She is a full-sister to Dan’s Dream that we trained, so she will be worth a lot of money and we think this is a better filly.

“She is tough and has improved all year. We are thrilled. The trouble was she looked like hosing up but then the race fell apart a bit.

“It is nice to have a nice horse to hand over to Jack. This is the last time I will be coming to Newmarket as a trainer, so I thought I’d better come and take the money.

“I think she is crying out for a mile and a quarter. Whether she will get a mile and a half is the million dollar question.”

Ottoman Fleet delivered a decisive challenge to lift the National Stud Welcomes Stradivarius James Seymour Stakes in style.

One of two runners for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby, Ottoman Fleet was partnered by Ryan Moore as James Doyle opted to ride Royal Fleet in the 10-furlong contest.

Despite that decision, punters were undeterred as they sent off Ottoman Fleet as the 9-4 favourite to take Listed success.

And their faith was justified as Ottoman Fleet sprinted away in the final furlong to beat his stablemate by five and a half lengths. Savvy Victory was a further six and a half lengths back in third with the field finishing well strung out on the soft ground.

Appleby said: “They have gone a good gallop up front here and it has played into his hands. He is a horse that will probably make his way out to Dubai now and be part of that team.

“I think a mile and a quarter is his trip, but it wouldn’t worry me coming back to a stiff mile in these conditions. He should handle these conditions as he is a Sea The Stars out of a Motivator mare, so he should like a bit of juice in the ground really.

“We will work back from something like the Dubai Millennium with him. He has that Listed penalty around his neck and that is a Group Three over a mile and a quarter, so that will probably be his target.”