Surprise sends out Classic signals
Jamie Spencer
Born To Surprise looked a possible Classic prospect when running out an impressive winner of the crown-hotel-bawtry.com Maiden Stakes at Doncaster.
The Michael Bell-trained colt (7-4 favourite) showed plenty of greenness at the start but put in a professional display on the track, showing a tidy turn of foot to score by five lengths in the hands of Jamie Spencer from Star Date.
"He was pretty fit and has been working well. He gets a bit anxious and ran a bit green when Jamie went to shake him up," said Bruce Raymond, representing owner Dr Ali Ridha.
"He'll probably go for one of the Guineas trials, possibly the Craven Stakes. We liked the way he quickened up and Jamie felt the ground may have been on the easy side for him."
Arizona John continued trainer John Mackie's excellent form when giving David Dunsdon back-to-back victories in the AJA Gentleman Amateur Riders' Handicap.
Dunsdon deserted last year's winner Jeer for Arizona John and sent the 5-1 joint-favourite into the lead two furlongs out. It was a decisive move for although the pack closed in, he still had half a length to spare over Edgeworth.
"He's a good old horse and this is the third successive winner for owners Derbyshire Racing Club. They had winners at Wolverhampton on Thursday and Friday and now him," said the Church Broughton handler.
"Last year he ran well early on and couldn't win, then my horses were out of form so he's come down to a decent mark. My horses are running well now - we've had seven winners from 20 runners on the Flat."
Adrian Nicholls dashed back from Dubai's World Cup meeting on Saturday night to strike on Karaka Jack (16-1) for his father David in the first division of the Download William Hill From The App Store Handicap, weaving through a tight field to win by three-quarters of a length from Celtic Sultan.
The jockey said: "He travelled really well, they went a good gallop and it was just a matter of getting a run. The gap opened up and he won really well in the end. I landed at Manchester at eight o'clock this morning, went to see the kids for 10 minutes then came here. It's been a long 24 hours."
