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NEWMARKET RACEDAY NEWS: LAST TIME ON TRACK
PALME R HAIL S RIDING PE RFORMANC E OF D AVIES FOLLOWING C ESAREWITC H TRIAL SUCC ESS OF R A JINSK Y
Hugo Palmer heaped plenty of praise on rising star Harry Davies following his victory aboard Rajinsky in the Turners Cesarewitch Trial Handicap at Newmarket last Saturday, describing his performance in the saddle as an “extraordinary riding feat”. Not sighted since finishing fourth in the Northumberland Plate in June, the six year old defied top weight under Davies, who is in a battle with Benoit De La Sayette to be crowned champion apprentice, to make all in the feature two and a quarter mile contest. Out in front from the moment the stalls opened the gelded son of Zoffany, who has also finished third in this year’s Chester Cup, was not for passing under a determined Davies, despite being pressed from all angles in the run to the line. Although allowing Prince Imperial to chart a path closest to the far side, which the 9-2 chance had stayed close for much of the race, after shifting slightly right, it did not halt the momentum of Rajinksy, who passed the post with a length and a quarter to spare over Prince Imperial. Palmer, speaking away from the track, said: “To make all over two and a quarter miles as an apprentice on what was probably the first time he has ridden over the two and a quarter miles there was an extraordinary riding feat. “Obviously you need the horse to be equal to it but my God he has ridden him well on ground that was probably on the quick side for him. “I’m delighted with the way the horse has improved all year, though it has been frustrating as he has only been limited to four runs. “He is a ground dependant horse and he has probably got away with it today. “I just felt if the ground came right we should have a look at this and if we do go for the Cesarewitch I felt we needed to have a run beforehand. “Today was a good race to win. He is a lovely horse and he wears his heart on the sleeve.” While Rajinsky was trimmed from 25-1 into 14-1 by Paddy Power for the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch on October 8th, by the Classic-winning handler insisted that an outing in the historic prize was not set in stone. Palmer added: “He will pick up a penalty now but we had to take our chance but we might just have cooked our goose. “We were hoping to come for the Cesarewitch but the ground is due to dry up so we could end up going to France for some of those staying races out there. “He is not that far away from Listed and Group class and in the staying division the air gets very thin out there. “I’m just talking off the cuff here but we could think about having a go at something like the Prix Royal-Oak.” As for winning jockey Davies, who was celebrating his 50TH winner of the season, he hailed Rajinsky as an “absolute legend.” He said: “This horse is an absolute legend. He is a nice sort of stayer and he has had some good runs this year. “He just keeps improving. Today there was no pace on. I wanted to sit on the girth of the leaders and he is so easy and tries so hard. I had it on the back my mind that if no one wanted to go I could do the work myself. “He hits the line very strong over that trip and is a pleasure to ride.”
