Ten Bob Tony survives stewards’ inquiry in John of Gaunt Stakes

Not everyone thrives in the sunshine. Since the weather broke it has been raining winners for Ed Walker, who capped a memorable Saturday by completing a stakes-race treble with Ten Bob Tony.

The long dry spell made life tricky at the trainer’s yard in Upper Lambourn, where the gallops were simply too quick to use.

It was no coincidence his first two big wins of the season came on an easier surface in France.

And as Britain’s meteorological drought ended, the flood of winners began, high-class sprinter Mgheera breaking the dam by landing the Temple Stakes here last Saturday.

Five days later stable star Almaqam threw down a marker for races from the Prince of Wales’s Stakes to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe by landing the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown.

But that was just a warm-up for a spectacular 70 minutes on Saturday, which kicked off with Balmoral Lady landing the Listed Achilles Stakes here and Scenic collecting the Bronte Cup at York.

It climaxed with the belated comeback of Ten Bob Tony, a talented horse over seven furlongs and a mile when there is give in the ground, who had been waiting for several weeks for conditions to come right.
There was no sign of rustiness in the four-year-old, who carries the TBT Racing colours of Simon Sadler and was running for the first time in 203 days, but took the Group 3 Betfred John of Gaunt Stakes under William Buick.

It took a while before the result was confirmed after a lengthy stewards’ inquiry, which prolonged the agony for the trainer who was at York, nearly 90 miles away.

“That was an awful wait,” said Walker. “Without sounding spoiled, it was so important he won. Ten Bob Tony was Simon’s first ever horse and he’s now come into the game in quite a big way.

“He had his first Stakes winner in Qilin Queen in a Listed race at Newbury on Lockinge day and then he came along for his first Group-race win. It’s pretty special and absolutely amazing.

“I’ve won Group 1s before but I have to say this has been a special day and special week. Long may it continue.”

Walker’s assistant Matty Hicks was at Haydock, where he said of Ten Bob Tony: “It has been a bit of a painful spring waiting for the rain, but luckily there was still a little bit of dig in the ground here.

“He’s always gone well fresh. He’s very tough and gelding him has probably made him a bit more of a man. He’s grown up a lot over the winter and he’s getting towards being the finished article.”

Buick was cautioned for careless riding as the stewards judged he caused runner-up Kinross, who was beaten a head, to be carried marginally off his intended line.

“The stewards had to have a look at it,” he said. “The horse just wandered around in front a little bit but he was a very game winner. It was a competitive race and Ed Walker’s horses are flying.”