3 minute read

Balding team “heartbroken” after stable star’s death

There was a tragic conclusion to the Fred Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile as Beat The Bank sustained a fatal injury after winning the Ascot event.

Andrew Balding's charge had lifted the race 12 months ago and was sent off the 2-1 favourite to back it up.

The result looked unlikely a furlong out as Sir Michael Stoute's Zaaki was still on the bridle while Silvestre de Sousa was hard at work.

As Zaaki looked set to extend his winning streak, Beat The Bank gamely found more for pressure and had his nose down where it mattered most.

However, it soon became apparent all was not well and De Sousa dismounted quickly with Beat The Bank eventually leaving the track in a horse ambulance.

Having been assessed by the Ascot vets, Beat The Bank was found to have sustained a complicated fracture and had to be euthanized.

Balding tweeted: "Tragically Beat The Bank suffered a fatal injury after winning the Summer Mile for the second year running.

"He was such a brave horse and everyone at Kingsclere and King Power (Racing, owner) are heartbroken. We will remember him forever."

Wokingham second Tis Marvellous turned what looked a competitive Betfred Heritage Handicap into a procession.

A Group Two winner in France as a juvenile, he slightly lost his way at three although he was competing at a high level.

Some relief from the handicapper has enabled him to regain confidence, though, and Clive Cox's five-year-old justified 9-2 favouritism by two and a half lengths under Adam Kirby.

"He's just coming back to himself. He's never run a bad race and he's been knocking on the door but it's nice for him to win a decent one again and get his confidence back," said Kirby.

"That's one of the best feels I've had off him since he was a baby, he's really coming again now."

Mark Johnston's Kingbrook (7-4 favourite) won the Ruddy Novice Auction Stakes after a battle with Manigordo.

Johnston said: "He's very tall and he was as a yearling which must have put people off but we were determined to buy him.

"Roger Brookhouse was bidding against us initially and when we dropped out I thought he'd send this one to us but he actually bought a Frankel colt off me and took this one home. The Frankel colt fractured a pedal bone and Roger swapped them over, thank goodness he did.

"We thought he was green at Haydock and expected him to come on a lot. He looked to have his work cut out once he was headed but Joe (Fanning) said he was always confident he had a bit left."

William Haggas' Ummalnar (7-2) was a four-length winner of the Trant Engineering Fillies' Handicap under Tom Marquand while Simon Crisford's Saroog (9-4 favourite) benefited from a patient Kerrin McEvoy ride in the Fresh Air Helicopters Handicap before he jetted off home to Australia.

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