Kerdos and Ben Curtis get up for the win in the Beverley Bullet (JTW Equine Images)
By Tom Williams
Most of the action pre-race was on Tis Marvellous, and whether or not he could be the first horse to win the Listed William Hill Beverley Bullet 3 times, having equalled Take Cover ( 2017/18 ) and Chookie Heiton ( 2004/05 ) in winning it twice in succession.
But alas, like those before him, he was denied by a rival. And this rival was closer to home than many would anticipate.
In fact, very close. The same yard, to be exact.
The enterprising Kerdos was another roll of the dice for the Clive Cox team and it paid dividend as he built upon his recent fifth in a Goodwood Group 2 to take the signature race at the Yorkshire track for owners John Connolly & A D Spence and jockey Ben Curtis.
Sent off at 3/1 for the contest that sits just under Group 3 in the Class listing, his previous effort held him in good stead as he swept through the field in a confident fashion under his jockey, who seemed to have plenty more in the tank than the half a length to runner up Silky Wilkie suggested.
Bond Chairman led the field along as they burst out of the gates for the 5 furlong, 1000 metre cavalry charge, and as the 6 runners sped down the hill towards the bend to home it was still anyone’s race.
As the field began to climb the lung bursting ascent began to find out several, with the leader unable to repel the challenges of Apollo One and Silky Wilkie. Previous dual winner Tis Marvellous rallied on the outside under Luke Morris having looked outpaced, which could not be said for Elegant Erin as she could not keep tabs on her rivals and was first beaten.
Kerdos on the other hand was switched left with 200m, one furlong, to run, and it proved a decisive, quality move from Ben Curtis as he scythed his way through his rivals and got up in the shadows of the post to take the first place of just over £22,000, the son of Profitable proving exactly his father’s namesake.
Speaking afterwards, jockey Ben Curtis was grateful for the passage opening up, as he had not had the smoothest passage throughout the race, relief etched across his face and in his voice as he relayed his thoughts to the assembled media.
“A lovely ride to get”, he remarked, grateful at the opportunity that had been presented to him. “I had a horror story all the way round”.
“A few years ago ( in the same race ) I never got a run, so it’s nice to get a winner in this. It was very smooth”.
“Clive told me to bring him down slowly, get plenty of cover. I had loads of confidence that he was plenty good enough to win”.
“He duly went ahead and did it”.
Trainer Clive Cox, winning it for the third year in a row, heaped praise on the 3-year-old winner, the first since Mister Hughie in 2010 to do so, and in the process making the 239-mile trip from Hungerford, Berkshire, all the more worth it.
“We have had a wetter time of things. He ran a blinder at Goodwood, bearing in mind how soft the ground was there. He’s quite versatile, but the better the ground, the better he is”.
I really hope this is the beginning of a promising career for him”.
The winner is entered for the Prix De L’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp on Arc Day on October 1st, but whether or not he takes up his entry remains to be seen.
“Who knows, we have had such a wet time”.
“I think one in every 5 years is a dry one, so we could be due one”.
“We will see how he comes back, but we do have high regard for him”.
“He has always had a high regard and is beginning to put things together now, so we are very excited ( for next season and perhaps Paris )“.
Reflecting back on his winner’s performance up to today, he revealed that he has shown a lot of potential back at home, but perhaps has not shown his true colours on the course at times.
“Mentally he was more immature than 3 at the beginning. He was getting confused and over-racing, but has really taken to settling now, doing what we have seen at home”.
“Very pleased for the owners, and he’s a really nice horse to look forward to”.
Lowering the sights of a horse can produce excellent results, especially towards a long term plan at any stage of the career. And whilst it is the sunrise of the career for the winner, it was the sunset of a wonderful career for his stablemate and previous dual Bullet winner Tis Marvellous, whose retirement was confirmed by his trainer post race.
“It is most definitely, and I couldn’t be more proud of the way he’s signed off”.
“He’s been a real stalwart at home, and at the races he’s broke the course record at the Robert Papin ( Maisons-Laffitte, France, 2016 ).
“He’s won 9 proper races, he’s been with me throughout his career, and been instrumental in working with several really top flight horses like Harry Angel and Profitable”.
“He’s been all the way really. He’s a gentleman, and Amy Dickinson who has looked after him since day 1 will be having him”.
“I’m really pleased that he will be having a good home. He’s deserving and a real nice story”.
“I’m very proud to have been involved in training him”.
In addition to two Bullet successes, the son of Harbour Watch was a dual winner at Ascot’s Shergar Cup meeting, with a career total of 9 wins, 3 seconds and 2 thirds in 47 races, and a total prize money of £378,846 pocketed for owners Miss J Deadman & S Barrow.
Happy Retirement old friend.
