There was a fair measure of relief mixed in with the elation after Pinatubo kept his unbeaten record by winning the Dewhurst Stakes, despite Newmarket’s soft ground posing a new question for Godolphin’s star juvenile. He will now spend the winter as hot favourite for the 2,000 Guineas back at the same track in May, a race for which some bookmakers already have him odds-on.
“People asked if we were taking a risk, running him again,” acknowledged his trainer, Charlie Appleby, after watching his charge achieve a two-length success that was comfortable rather than impressive. Pinatubo’s reputation could hardly improve after his awe-inspiring nine-length success in Ireland’s National Stakes last month and no one would have been in the least surprised if connections decided to call a halt for the year at that point.
But Appleby doubtless saw value in giving the colt a first taste of the Rowley Mile, on which the Guineas will also be staged, with its wide open spaces and tricky undulations. “If you’re a boxer going into the ring, you want plenty of experience behind you when it comes to a dogfight,” was how he explained it.
For a few seconds approaching the furlong pole on Saturday, a dogfight seemed likely as Arizona battled on dourly, refusing to concede the lead after Pinatubo cruised alongside. William Buick had to be firm in driving the winner out to the line.
“We didn’t see the Pinatubo like we saw on his last two starts, travelling and pulling a cart,” said Appleby. “William’s asking him to go through the gears. I was pleased to see his reaction, he was picking up. But it wasn’t until the last 100 yards that he was very authoritative.”
This was a first Dewhurst success for both trainer and jockey, and may have been especially important to Buick, as it was his first Group One win in Britain this year. The rider was sidelined for two months in high summer by a head injury.
The question now is whether we have already seen the best of Pinatubo, or whether he can be “the next Frankel”, as suggested by Saturday’s Racing Post, and extend his greatness for another season or two. Aidan O’Brien, who saddled Arizona and Wichita to be second and third, seemed happy enough. “Hopefully we can take him on again next year,” he said.
The Cesarewitch fell to Willie Mullins for a second consecutive year and once more it was not with the horse identified as his first string by the betting. Stratum, stuffed when well fancied for last year’s race, was allowed to start at 25-1 this time and battled home by half a length from Party Playboy, trained by Mullins’s brother, Tony.
The rest of the Newmarket card was dominated by the newish trainer/jockey combination of Ralph Beckett and Harry Bentley, who shared four wins, two of them in Group Three races. Beckett, who also won a £19,000 pot with his only runner at York, said: “He has a very good pair of hands, Harry, and that showed today.
“We had a tricky spring and it wasn’t going well. We hit a bit of a blip in July but it is always a good idea to finish the season off well.”
Sunday’s race-meetings at Goodwood and Newton Abbot have been abandoned due to waterlogging.