Matt Chapman is back and in top form with his own imaginary take on last weekend’s cancelled Guineas meeting
WOW! I’m still buzzing after last weekend’s opening Classics of the season and OMG did ante-post favourites Pinatubo and Quadrilateral deliver.
Charlie Appleby, the handler of the former, was like a bouncy kangaroo after his victory, while Charlton chose to celebrate with a unique version of ‘The Floss’ in which he added a mamboesque twist.
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Disappointments of the race were Earthlight and Siskin, who both clearly failed to stay. Siskin’s trainer, Ger Lyons, simply commented: “It’s Ger like Jeremy. Not Ger as in Geraghty.” Ok Ger.
Quadrilateral, a 7-2 chance having been supported from 5-1 on the day, brought back memories of the fabulous Oh So Sharp as she rallied under young Jason Watson to score in a three- way photo.
Watson revealed his best mate, Sherlock Holmes, had predicted he would bang in the victory the night before! Good tipping. Although some of us have been saying it since the Fillies' Mile!
Charlton was all a fluster. “Those early Classics (with Quest For Fame and Sanglamore just after I took over from Jeremy Tree) came so quickly that I felt they weren’t really mine. This one is mine. Mine, mine, mine. They can’t take that away from me - oh I love that song.
“I just can’t wait to get home now and do a bit of gardening to celebrate. I might even open a bottle of Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Rioja Reserva which is an excellent buy for about £9.”
As for the Oaks, Watson was in no doubt about stamina. He said: “She will love it. Get her over a mile and a half Roger my son. I’m going to tell the Good Lord (Teddy Beckett, racing manager to owner Prince Khalid Abdullah) we are on for a hip hop season with this filly. Oh yeah baby.”
Quadrilateral pipped the Jessica Harrington pair Cayenne Pepper and Albigna by a head and a neck.
The trainer said: “They both worked over four miles with my Gold Cup winner Sizing John and when they finished upsides I knew they were in good shape. Sizing John is a fine work horse at that trip.”
Cayenne Pepper ran on strongly in the Fillies' Mile behind Quadrilateral and that experience of the track seemed to make all the difference here.
She will probably excel over a mile and a quarter, while you would imagine a Breeders' Cup challenge will be in mind for Albigna who was very unlucky in defeat at that fixture in 2019.
Of course none of that happened. But Covid-19-willing I hope it wets the appetite for what might be just around the corner...
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