Andrea Atzeni enjoyed one of his best days in the saddle on Saturday as Emaraaty Ana’s
thrilling success in the Group 1 Sprint Cup headlined a wonderful treble for the Italian rider at Haydock.
Emaraaty Ana, trained by Kevin Ryan for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, faced an awesome adversary in the shape of David Ward’s July Cup hero Starman, sent off the hot favourite for the six-furlong prize.
Art Power broke quickest from the stalls and soon established a healthy advantage under Silvestre de Sousa as Emaraaty Ana appeared a little keen in the early stages, racing alongside Starman on the outside of the 11-runner field.
Passing the two-furlong marker Tom Marquand asked Starman to pick up as Emaraaty Ana was seen travelling noticeably better under Atzeni. Emaraaty Ana hit the front approaching the final furlong and despite Starman finishing with a rattle, he held on by a short-head to take the spoils.
Kevin Ryan, celebrating a second Sprint Cup after Hello Youmzain in 2019, said after the race: “He was a great two-year-old and he lost his way a little bit. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid has been very patient.
“His owner is very knowledgeable and he can read a race very well. He knows the ones he doesn’t need for the following year and knows the ones that could go forward. That is what you are dealing with.
“When you have one Group 1, you need another and when you have had another you need another. That is what we base everything on, just trying to have the good horses and competing at the top level. It is hard to do as a lot of trainers are doing it and doing it very well. I’m just thankful I can drop in there somewhere along the line.
“The way he travelled through the race I thought Andrea wouldn’t go too soon. We’ve started riding him patiently and he has come alive for doing that. I’ve had huge faith in the horse and I’m delighted he has done it.
“He is as good a horse as I’ve ever trained. His work in the morning is brilliant and he wants to please you. You have to be careful that he doesn’t want to please you too much as he can do too much in the mornings.
“I would say we would go for the Breeders’ Cup. I can’t see why not as he would be tailor made for it as they would go a fast pace on fast ground.”
Ryan and Atzeni started the afternoon in the best possible way as two-year-old Triple Time recorded an all-the-way success in the Listed Ascendant Stakes (1m), looking every inch a Derby hope for next season.
The son of Frankel, also racing in the silks of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, proved too good for Godolphin’s Hafit, a son of Dubai purchased for 2.1 million guineas at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last year.
Atzeni’s treble was completed by Artistic Rifles, owned by Zaro Srl, in the Group 3 Superior Mile, another fine front-running performance to provide first-season trainer Ed Bethell with his debut Pattern triumph.
There was an upset in the Group 3 September Stakes at Kempton as Hamish, returning from an absence of 442 days, proved too good for hot favourite Hukum under Pat Dobbs. The winner is trained by William Haggas for his father Brian, who also bred the Motivator gelding.
Fellow Newmarket handler Charlie Fellowes also hit the bullseye when juvenile Eve Lodge captured the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes under Jim Crowley.
